Science in this week’s hot topics: Is the normal human body temperature 37 degrees?

2022, Week 12, Issue 10, Total Issue 26

This week is a week of enhanced nucleic acid testing. We did two nucleic acid tests in three days. How many times have you done nucleic acid tests? Here are the most popular scientific topics that we selected from the Weibo hot search list this week:

#Is the normal human body temperature 37 degrees?#

#Extremely high temperatures in both the North and South Poles#

#The ten-year fishing ban finally brought them here#

#Su Bingtian has an Olympic medal#

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1. Is the normal human body temperature 37 degrees?

Everyone's body temperature is different, but it is generally around 37 degrees. This is because humans and most mammals and birds can maintain their body temperature within a constant range when the ambient temperature changes, so they are also called homeothermic animals.

However, constant body temperature does not mean that it is fixed at a value, but that it remains constant within a relatively small range. This is because there is a complete set of mechanisms responsible for temperature regulation in the human body. There is a temperature regulation center in the hypothalamus, and there are various temperature receptors distributed on the skin and mucous membranes. The temperature regulation center can set the body temperature at a certain value, also known as the temperature setting point. After this temperature point is determined, the temperature regulation center will send a signal to achieve a balance between the body's heat production and heat dissipation process at this temperature point. Specifically, the temperature receptors continuously report temperature changes of the skin and the external environment to the temperature regulation center. If the temperature is lower than the setting point, the center will issue a command to produce heat through skeletal muscle contraction. At the same time, the skin capillaries will contract to reduce heat dissipation. Humans rely on the advanced temperature regulation system in their bodies to "respond to changes with constancy" and survive the cruel selection of nature.

Hotspot sources:

https://weibo.com

The editor has something to say: When you shiver in the cold wind, your body is actually producing heat.

2. Extremely high temperatures in the North and South Poles

Recently, several Antarctic research stations recorded record high temperatures on the 18th of this month. Among them, the Concordia Antarctic Research Station (co-built by France and Italy) measured -12.2℃, which is about 40℃ higher than the historical average level of the same period in previous years. The temperature at the Terra Nova Research Base located on the coast even broke through zero and reached 7°C. The temperature at the Antarctic Vostok Station rose from -55 degrees to -17 degrees. In addition, scientists from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) of the United States said that the temperature in some parts of the Arctic in mid-March was about 28℃ higher than the average level of the same period in previous years, and the temperature in some areas even approached or reached freezing point. According to the 500Pa weather situation field, we can see the reason for the sudden rise in temperature in the Arctic and Antarctic. It is mainly due to the invasion of an abnormally strong warm ridge (a narrow and long area extending from the center of the high temperature zone). Simply put, the heat from the middle and low latitudes invaded the Arctic and Antarctic on the warm ridge, which is almost like adding a spoonful of boiling water to a glass of ice water. Among them, the Arctic warm ridge (a low-pressure cyclone) invaded the poles from Northern Europe, while the Antarctic warm ridge (a blocking high-pressure cyclone) inserted into the poles from east of Australia. As for the impact of this extreme warming, first of all, the local icebergs will melt slightly. For my country, due to the invasion of the warm ridge, the cold air mass in the polar region will not disappear, so it will shift to the mid-latitudes, which may bring a wave of cold waves.

Hotspot sources:

https://s.weibo.com/

The editor has something to say: However, it should be noted that the "extreme high temperature" in the hot search is not the "high temperature of 30 degrees or even above 40 degrees" that we generally understand, but refers to the local temperature during the same period.

3. After a 10-year fishing ban, they finally arrived

Recently, fishery law enforcement staff were surprised to find a group of finless porpoises flipping and jumping back and forth on the sparkling river surface, chasing and preying on small fish and shrimps during their routine inspections in the Jinkou section of the Yangtze River in Jiangxia, Wuhan. According to staff, this is the first time that finless porpoises have appeared in groups since the implementation of the "Ten-Year Fishing Ban" plan in the Yangtze River.

The Yangtze finless porpoise is the world's only freshwater subspecies and is only found in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in my country and its large lakes connected to the river, such as Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake. Since the 1990s, the number of Yangtze finless porpoises has been declining at an accelerated rate. According to a survey by the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the number of Yangtze finless porpoises was about 2,700 in 1993, about 1,800 in 2006, and 1,045 in 2012. As far as the mainstream of the Yangtze River is concerned, the population declined by more than 50% in 2012, making the Yangtze finless porpoise the most endangered population in the genus finless porpoise.

The reason for the decrease in the number of Yangtze finless porpoises is the negative disturbance caused by human activities. For example, the noise from shipping vessels will interfere with the acoustic positioning system of the Yangtze finless porpoise, which may be injured or killed by ship collisions or propeller strikes. In addition, under the influence of factors such as water quality deterioration, river and lake barriers, and overfishing, the fish resources in the Yangtze River have declined sharply, and the Yangtze finless porpoises have less and less palatable bait. Without food, it is naturally difficult for them to reproduce and survive. In order to protect the aquatic genetic resources of the Yangtze River mainstream and important tributaries, and at the same time alleviate the problem of food shortage for Yangtze finless porpoises, Academician Cao Wenxuan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences first proposed the implementation of a "ten-year fishing ban" in the Yangtze River. Now the return of Yangtze finless porpoises in groups also shows that the aquatic ecological environment of the Yangtze River is continuing to improve.

Hotspot sources:

https://s.weibo.com/

The editor has something to say: It would be great if the white-fin dolphin could appear again

4. Su Bingtian has an Olympic medal

According to the People's Daily Sports report, in the World Athletics Federation's athlete introduction, the information of China's Su Bingtian, Xie Zhenye, Wu Zhiqiang and Tang Xingqiang are all marked with Olympic bronze medals.

As we all know, in the 4x100m relay at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese team of Su Bingtian, Xie Zhenye, Wu Zhiqiang and Tang Xingqiang won the fourth place in the 4x100m relay with a time of 37.79 seconds. Now they have won a bronze medal through the Olympic medal replacement convention. The cause of the incident was the use of doping in the Tokyo Olympics. The International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued an announcement on February 18 that British sprinter Ujah was found to have violated doping rules during the Tokyo Olympics, so the British team's results in the men's 4x100m relay final were cancelled.

As we all know, the problem of doping is inseparable from competitive sports. As early as the end of the third century BC, athletes in the ancient Olympic Games drank special teas and chewed cocoa leaves in an attempt to improve their athletic performance. In the modern Olympic Games, doping refers to the abnormal practice of using abnormal means and methods, applying abnormal doses of physiological substances, and using drugs that can improve body functions in an attempt to artificially improve athletic performance in competitions. This behavior undoubtedly breaks the principles of fairness and justice in competitive sports.

Hotspot sources:

https://weibo.com/

The editor has something to say: It is worth mentioning that the urine and blood samples of all athletes who enter the finals must be kept for ten years, because the development of doping is much faster than the detection technology, and long-term retention can allow retesting after technological advances.

In conclusion:

① Specific problems require specific analysis. When a person is hungry or sleepy, his body temperature will also be different;

② Ultimately, this event was only a weather-scale event that lasted for a few days and did not constitute a long-term climate anomaly, but it should also draw our attention to the Arctic and Antarctic regions;

③ Some people may worry that after the fishing ban, there will be more fish in the Yangtze River, leading to an influx of Yangtze River dolphins. This is really groundless. The aquatic environment of the Yangtze River is also a relatively independent ecosystem. There is a mutually restrictive relationship between different species. Although the overall trend is an increase, a relative balance will be achieved due to the existence of the food chain.

④ Of course, in addition to voluntarily taking stimulants, the "masterminds" who induce, instigate, and deceive athletes to use stimulants to participate in major domestic and international sports competitions will also be subject to corresponding legal sanctions.

References:

[1] Xu Pao, Liu Kai, Xu Dongpo, et al. Conservation status and research prospects of Yangtze River finless porpoises[J]. Scientific Fish Farming, 2017(5):3.

[2] Tang Xinfa. On the harm of stimulants[J]. Journal of Jingzhou Teachers College, 1997, 20(2):2.

Zhihu @chenzhe

Source: Interesting Science

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