Exposure to severe cold triggers rhythmic skeletal muscle contractions that generate heat. Where is the primary motor center coordinating this response located?

• A Preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus
• B Dorsomedial portion of the posterior hypothalamus ✓
• C Ventrolateral medulla
• D Red nucleus of the midbrain

Explanation

The primary motor center for shivering lies in the dorsomedial portion of the posterior hypothalamus. When cold signals from skin and spinal cord reach this center, it drives rhythmic muscle contraction through descending bulboreticular and rubrospinal pathways. The preoptic anterior hypothalamus detects warmth and mediates heat-dissipation responses, while the ventrolateral medulla controls cardiovascular reflexes, not shivering.

Reference: Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, 14th ed.

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