Normal human body
temperature, also
known as normothermia or euthermia, depends upon the place in the
body at which the measurement is made, the time of day, as well as the activity
level of the person. Despite what many schoolchildren are taught, there is no
single number that represents an ideal temperature for all people, under all
circumstances, at any time of day, and using any place of measurement. Instead,
the body temperature of a healthy person changes slowly but constantly during
the course of the day.
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| Commonly accepted average body temperature. |
Different parts of the body
have different temperatures. The commonly accepted average core body
temperature (taken internally) is 37.0 °C. The
typical oral (under the tongue) measurement is slightly cooler, at 36.8°, and
temperatures taken in other places (such as under the arm or in the ear)
produce different typical numbers. Although some people think of these averages
as representing the normal or ideal temperature, a wide range of temperatures
has been found in healthy people.
