The specific heat of the human body is lower than previously believed: The journal Temperature toolbox

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of anatomical models.

Data pseudonym	Age (years)	Sex	Height (m)	Mass (kg)
Duke	34	Male	1.74	70
Ella	26	Female	1.60	58
Billie	11	Female	1.46	36
Thelonious	6	Male	1.17	20

Table 2. Tissue masses in g (kg · 10⁻³) and specific heat of each tissue in kJ · kg⁻¹ · °C⁻¹.

	Mass (g)				Specific heat (kJ · kg^−1 · °C^−1)
Tissue/Organ	Duke	Ella	Billie	Thelonius	Average	Min	Max
Adipose	11,830	14,256	5363	3605	2.348	1.806	2.973
Adrenals	11	13	9	3	3.513	3.425	3.600
Brain	1373	1324	1248	1313	3.630	3.578	3.682
Colon Wall	535	338	275	225	3.595	3.595	3.595
Eye Lens	0.30	0.33	0.26	0.32	3.133	3.000	3.664
Gall Bladder	19	25	20	8	3.716	3.716	3.716
Heart	752	599	278	257	3.652	3.457	3.812
Kidney	359	269	165	137	3.763	3.653	3.891
Liver	1244	866	871	586	3.540	3.332	3.617
Lungs	2521	1714	900	595	3.886	3.886	3.886
Muscle	33,842	22,291	14,282	6289	3.421	2.624	3.799
Esophagus	56	29	9	11	3.500	3.500	3.500
Pancreas	70	7	25	11	3.164	2.822	3.506
Red Bone Marrow	959	302	333	111	2.666	2.666	2.666
Skeleton	7857	5987	5259	2541	1.313	0.826	1.650
Skin	5491	3532	2758	1490	3.391	3.150	3.662
Small Intestine	631	624	405	59	3.595	3.595	3.595
Spleen	147	172	148	129	3.596	3.376	3.724
Testes	18	0	0	3	3.778	3.778	3.778
Teeth	31	23	32	12	1.255	1.255	1.255
Thymus	4	20	30	30	3.043	3.043	3.043
Thyroid	9	13	11	0	3.609	3.609	3.609
Breast	0	583	0	0	2.960	2.960	2.960
Uterus	0	52	20	0	3.676	3.676	3.676
Blood	2438	4261	1559	1185	3.617	3.300	3.900

Table 3. Average specific heat of the body in kJ · kg⁻¹ · °C⁻¹.

Data pseudonym	Average	Min	Max
Duke	3.028	2.460	3.389
Ella	2.965	2.423	3.346
Billie	2.954	2.413	3.305
Thelonious	2.972	2.476	3.317
Mean	2.980	2.443	3.339