Which of the following contributes to the maintenance of body temperature?

The integumentary system plays a crucial role in maintaining body temperature through its various components, including the skin, hair, and nails. The skin acts as a barrier and is involved in thermoregulation, which is the process of maintaining a stable internal body temperature.

When the body gets too hot, the integumentary system facilitates cooling through processes such as sweating and vasodilation. Sweat glands in the skin produce sweat, which evaporates and helps cool the body down. Vasodilation, or the widening of blood vessels, allows increased blood flow to the skin's surface, enabling heat to dissipate into the environment.

Conversely, when the body is cold, the integumentary system can conserve heat through vasoconstriction, where blood vessels narrow to reduce blood flow to the skin, minimizing heat loss. Additionally, the insulation provided by hair and subcutaneous fat helps retain body heat.

While the muscular system generates heat through muscle activity and contributes to thermoregulation during exercise, it does not directly control body temperature maintenance as the integumentary system does. The nervous and endocrine systems also influence body temperature by detecting changes and triggering responses, but they primarily work in conjunction with the integumentary system to facilitate temperature regulation rather than directly