the temperature of the body, as measured by a thermometer. Body temperature is accurately controlled by a small area at the base of the brain (the hypothalamus); in normal individuals it is maintained at about 37°C (98.4°F). Heat production by the body arises as the result of vital activities (e.g. respiration, heartbeat, circulation, secretion) and from the muscular effort of exercise and shivering. A rise in body temperature occurs in fever.
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the temperature of the body: in cold-blooded animals it varies with environmental temperature; in warm-blooded animals it is usually constant within a narrow range. See normal t.Medical dictionary. 2011.