Why 37?

[pne]

The human body has an average temperature of about 37 °C/98.6 °F.

Why that temperature in particular? Why not, say, 14 °C or 50 °C?

Is there something magic about, say, the speed of reaction of certain enzyme-catalysed processes at that temperature that makes this body temperature particularly desirably? Or is it, say, an attempt to be above average ambient temperature (since it's easier to create heat than to cool down) while not being too much above it (which would require more energy expenditure)?

Is it an arbitrary constant?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Comments

[darth-spacey.livejournal.com]

It's not just the human body. Most bacteria (barring extremophiles and a few other exceptions) will thrive most happily in the same temperature range. There must be something pretty basic about it.

[jc.livejournal.com]

Wikipedia to the rescue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoregulation

[pne.livejournal.com]

Ah! Thanks. That does shed some light.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I'd assume it has to do with the conditions under which life developed. Leaving the ocean was hard, and for the most part, the cells in a land-dwelling animal still live as if they're in the ocean. We do a lot of things to kind of mimic that initial environment. Likely part of why people are mostly water.

[sedesdraconis.livejournal.com]

There's variation in average body temperature between different species of endotherms. The platypus maintain a temperature around 32°C, while humming birds maintain a T around 41°C while active. Not a very wide range, the rough range is basically universally constrained in Amniotes, at least. But the specific temperature varies species to species based on factors like diet, activity cycle, climate, etc.