Have you ever noticed your skin getting small bumps whenever it's cold or when you feel a sudden chill in your body? It's a biological reflex, and the visible results are commonly referred to as goosebumps. Continue reading to find out more about why this happens!
What part of your body causes goosebumps? Goosebumps mainly appear on arms and legs, or other large areas of your skin, and are a result of muscles attached to your hair follicles flexing and rising into visible bumps. You don't consciously control this reflex, as it is an involuntary body function, and is controlled by the nerves part of the "fight or flight" response in your sympathetic nervous system. (Fun fact: it is analogous to the response in porcupines where their quills puff up during times of danger!)
So, what purpose does the reflex of goosebumps serve for our bodies? Goosebumps appear when we are in cold environments in order to keep our bodies warm. This is because heat is generated when the arrectores pilorum muscles in the skin contract, pores are closed due to raised hair follicles, and the layer of air trapped underneath the skin retains body heat.
However, you may have noticed that sometimes you get goosebumps even when it isn't cold! These "chills" can be a result of feeling motivation, excitement, arousal, emotion, pride, and fear, which are linked to parts of your brain that also are connected to your sympathetic nervous system. This can happen in situations such as listening to enticing music, getting in line for a scary ride at an amusement park, or stepping on stage to receive an award!
As "chilling" as this experience may be, it is evidence of one of the many effects of your fight or flight response in action! Goosebumps are a natural reflex of your body, and part of your biology to increase chances of survival.
Hope you learned something new from this article, and thank you for reading!
References:
Shmerling, Robert H. “Wondering about Goosebumps? Of Course You Are.” Harvard Health, 2 Oct. 2020, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/wondering-about-goosebumps-of-course-you-are-2020080320688.
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