If we need to survive we need to fit with the environmental conditions that exist in our habitat. This process is known as adaptation. The weather conditions in the Arctic region are the harshest in the world and one has to face the elements of nature and take care of basic necessities such as clothing, food, and water.
People generally have an internal temperature regulating system that helps them maintain stable core body temperatures. This means that in extreme cold and heat they are able to adjust and survive. This survival is possible mainly because man has the ability to understand the nuances of this extreme temperature.
In extremely cold climates it is essential that people maintain their core body temperature. If there is a drop in this core body temperature, it can be life threatening. Subnormal levels can result in death. 98.6 °F (37.0 °C) is considered to be the normal body temperature for humans. There can sometimes be a difference of about 1 °F (0.6 ° C) in an individual, depending on his /her hormone levels, the kind of strenuous activity he/she does, the time of the day, and the metabolism.
The problem people in the Arctic region may suffer from is a drop in the core body temperature that is not normal. When the core body temperature drops to as low as 94 °F (34.4 °C) hypothermia sets in and that could be dangerous. What generally happens is that when the core body temperature drops down to an unreasonable amount, the hypothalamus or the body’s natural temperature regulating system fails and it might result in death.
So people living in the Arctic Circle have what is considered to be normal body temperature for humans. However, the difference is that they have a higher threshold of tolerance for extreme cold. It is important that they take all the precautions necessary to stay warm in this weather. Wearing several layers of clothing to stay warm, covering your head, neck and ears while venturing out in the cold, and eating a nutritious meal before heading out in the cold are some ways through which they combat the subzero temperatures and freezing winds.
You need to understand that the body sometimes loses heat faster than it can produce it and the result could be hypothermia. Surviving in the Arctic Circle is a matter of surviving in the harshest of conditions and making do with what you have.
Submitted by M T on March 25, 2010 at 12:32