Evaporation

(noun)

What happens when water crosses the skin via sweat glands and then dissipates into the air; this process cools body temperature to within the body's tolerance range.

Related Terms

Examples of Evaporation in the following topics:

  • Thermoregulation

    • As drops of sweat form on and then evaporate from our skin surface, they take body heat away with them. 
    • With respect to body heat loss, the processes of radiation and convection are most effective when the environmental temperature is below 20 C, while evaporative cooling accounts for the most heat loss when the environmental temperature is above 20 C, and especially when it’s hotter than 35 C. 
    • The body will also limit or stop the process of sweating to minimize any evaporative heat loss.

  • Signs and Symptoms of Shock

    • Hypothermia, due to decreased perfusion and evaporation of sweat, and thirst and dry mouth, due to fluid depletion may also be present.

  • Sweat (Sudoriferous) Glands

    • This is because as the water in sweat evaporates, it takes body heat with it.

  • Protection

    • Our skin is also closely associated with sweat glands that help protect us from high temperatures by cooling us off through the process of evaporation. 

  • Absorption of Alcohol

    • Alcohol is removed from the bloodstream by a combination of metabolism, excretion and evaporation.

  • Skin and Mucosae (Surface Barriers)

    • It performs a wide range of functions including, sensation, heat regulation, control of evaporation, storage, synthesis, absorption, and water resistance, but its innate immune system functions as the barrier immune system are its most important and unique functions.

  • Structure of the Skin: Dermis

    • The former help contribute to body odor (along with the bacteria on our skin), and the latter help regulate our body temperature through the process of evaporation.