Goosebumps
Posted by jfoefug on April 7, 2003
Q: Why do we shiver when we're cold? Explain?
A: As the poster points out, goosebumps are our way of raising or fluffing the hair on our bodies which in turn traps air and improves insulation. Since humans have so little hair, this is not very unhelpful. But organisms often have backup systems they can used if necessary, and that is what happens when we shiver.
If we are unable to bring our body temperature into a safe range using the "goosebump" technique, our bodies can go to "plan B" and shiver. As our muscles quiver, they generate heat. If our heat loss isn't too great, this shivering can bring our body back into a safe temperature range. Incidently, if you've ever really shivered from the cold you know it isn't something you do consciously - it is uncontrolable
John Wiessinger ( April 8, 2003)