MadSci Network: Anatomy |
Oliver- This is a very good question but the way you phrased it makes it a difficult one to answer. As you may know, there are several ways that the human has in order to regulate temperature. These homeostatic methods, if working properly, maintain a constant body temp. that fluctuates diurinally as well as by activity level around 37 degrees C. The major contributor to this temp. is metabolism & the major method used to regulate it is by sweating. Even though a dark skinned individual is absorbing more radiant energy, the homeostatic mechanisms will still work to maintain 37 degrees. The amount of sweat produced varies greatly by gender, amount & kind of activity, etc. Since dark skinned people have the same body temp. as those with lighter skin, the radiant energy absorbed is dealt with. And remember, a good absorber is also a good radiator. The hard part of your question is regarding the "feel" part. I don't know how this could be ascertained because a person with dark skin only knows how it "feels" to have that color skin. The same for light skinned people. Perhaps a study could be done that chemically transformed light skin into dark skin & get the people's reactions before & after but this would be very subjective. The "feel" part is hard to evaluate & is not a very measureable term. I hope that my answer helps. J. Bridger
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