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Thermoreceptors
The core thermoreceptors are located in the Spinal cord, the Gut, the Great veins and the Hypothalamus. There are more cold fibers than warm fibers here. Information collected by the various thermoreceptors is sent to the hypothalamus for processing. There are also peripheral thermoreceptors which are located in the skin. There, there are ten times more cold fibers than warm fibers. Information collected is also sent to the hypothalamus for processing. Thus it can be seen that the controller for temperature regulation is the Hypothalamus. The hypothalamus integrates temperature input from the body and turns temperature regulatory mechanisms on or off as needed. This regulation is brought about by sympathetic nervous activities, involuntary motor activities and voluntary motor activities.
The Hypothalamus is able to send signals down the sympathetic nerves , which travels down to affect the skin arterioles and the sweat glands, as well as the motor nerves which may cause involuntary skeletal muscle activity like shivering.
The hypothalamus can also affect the cerebral cortex which in turn affects the motor nerves and causes voluntary skeletal muscle activity such as the change in behavior according to the temperature of the environment.
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