Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Immune chemicals called pyrogens tell the brain to target a higher temperature. The figure is taken from Merck Manual, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a human body fact?

Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Fever comes from a raised internal thermostat setting

Immune chemicals called pyrogens tell the brain to target a higher temperature During an infection, immune cells release pyrogens such as interleukin-1. These reach the hypothalamus and raise its target temperature above the usual 37 degrees Celsius. The body then feels cold and shivers until it reaches the new set point, which is why chills often come before a fever. It sits in Mondo's human body collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Merck Manual

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Science trivia

More facts like this

The hypothalamus signals the pituitary by private blood routeReleasing hormones travel a short portal route straight to the anterior pituitary The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine systemSmall brain region controls pituitary gland output and body homeostasis Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins built from four chainsTwo heavy and two light protein chains form each antibody molecule A second exposure triggers a much faster immune responseMemory cells produced after a first infection shorten the response from weeks to days Tears carry an enzyme that breaks bacterial cell wallsLysozyme snips the sugar chains that hold bacterial walls together Most of the immune tissue sits along the gutAn estimated seventy percent of immune cells are stationed in the digestive lining

Tags: fever, hypothalamus, immunity

Fever comes from a raised internal thermostat setting: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Immune chemicals called pyrogens tell the brain to target a higher temperature. The figure is taken from Merck Manual, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a human body fact?: Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.