Human body temperature
typical temperature range found in humans
Normal human body temperature (normothermia, euthermia) is the typical temperature range found in humans, generally given as 36.5–37.5 °C (97.7–99.5 °F).
Human body temperature varies. It depends on sex, age, time of day, exertion level, health status (such as illness and menstruation), what part of the body the measurement is taken at, state of consciousness (waking, sleeping, sedated), and emotions. Body temperature is kept in the normal range by a homeostatic function known as thermoregulation, in which adjustment of temperature is triggered by the central nervous system.
Methods of measurement
Taking a temperature is an initial part of a full clinical examination. There are various types of medical thermometers, as well as sites used for measurement, including:
Under the armpit (axillary temperature)
In the mouth (oral temperature)
In the rectum (rectal temperature)
In the ear (tympanic temperature)
On the skin of the forehead over the temporal artery
Using heat flux sensors
Variation
Temperature control (thermoregulation) is a homeostatic mechanism that keeps the organism at optimum operating temperature, as the temperature affects the rate of chemical reactions. In humans, the average internal temperature is widely cited as 37 °C (98.6 °F), a "normal" temperature established in the 1800s. Newer studies show that average internal temperature for men and women is 36.4 °C (97.5 °F). Temperatures cycle regularly through the day, as controlled by the person's circadian rhythm. The lowest temperature occurs about two hours before the person normally wakes up.
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