What process does the body use to maintain its internal temperature?

The process that the body uses to maintain its internal temperature is thermoregulation. This term specifically refers to the physiological and behavioral mechanisms that organisms engage in to ensure that their body temperature remains within a narrow range, despite varying external temperatures.

In human beings, thermoregulation involves various systems within the body, including the hypothalamus, which acts as the body's thermostat. When the body heats up or cools down, signals are sent to initiate processes such as sweating to cool down or shivering to generate heat. Blood flow to the skin can also be altered to either release or conserve heat.

Homeostasis is a broader term that encompasses thermoregulation as well as the maintenance of other critical physiological processes such as pH and glucose levels. Metabolism refers to the chemical processes that occur within the body to maintain life, and respiration deals primarily with gas exchange and energy production. Therefore, while these concepts are interrelated, thermoregulation is the most accurate term for the specific process of temperature regulation.