Temperature adaptation

The ability of animals to survive and function at widely different temperatures as a result of specific physiological adaptations. Temperature is an all-pervasive attribute of the environment that limits the activity, distribution, and survival of animals.

Changes in temperature influence biological systems, both by determining the rate of chemical reactions and by specifying equilibria. Because temperature exerts a greater effect upon the percentage of molecules that possess sufficient energy to react (that is, to exceed the activation energy) than upon the average kinetic energy of the system, modest reductions in temperature (for example, from 77 to 59^°F or from 25 to 15^°C, corresponding to only a 3% reduction in average kinetic energy) produce a marked depression (two- to threefold) in reaction rate. In addition, temperature specifies the equilibria between the formation and disruption of the noncovalent (electrostatic, hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bonding) interactions that stabilize both the higher levels of protein structure and macromolecular aggregations such as biological membranes. Maintenance of an appropriate structural flexibility is a requirement for both enzyme catalysis and membrane function, yet cold temperatures constrain while warm temperatures relax the conformational flexibility of both proteins and membrane lipids, thereby perturbing biological function. See Cell membranes, Enzyme

Animals are classified into two broad groups depending on the factors that determine body temperature. For ectotherms, body temperature is determined by sources of heat external to the body; levels of resting metabolism (and heat production) are low, and mechanisms for retaining heat are limited. Such animals are frequently termed poikilothermic or cold-blooded, because the body temperature often conforms to the temperature of the environment. In contrast, endotherms produce more metabolic heat and possess specialized mechanisms for heat retention. Therefore, body temperature is elevated above ambient temperature; some endotherms (termed homeotherms or warm-blooded animals) maintain a relatively constant body temperature. There is no natural taxonomic division between ecto- and endotherms. Most invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and reptiles are ectotherms, while true homeothermy is restricted to birds and mammals. However, flying insects commonly elevate the temperature of their thoracic musculature prior to and during flight (to 96^°F or 36^°C), and several species of tuna retain metabolic heat in their locomotory musculature via a vascular countercurrent heat exchanger. See Hibernation, Thermoregulation

单词	temperature adaptation
释义	Temperature adaptation Temperature adaptation The ability of animals to survive and function at widely different temperatures as a result of specific physiological adaptations. Temperature is an all-pervasive attribute of the environment that limits the activity, distribution, and survival of animals. Changes in temperature influence biological systems, both by determining the rate of chemical reactions and by specifying equilibria. Because temperature exerts a greater effect upon the percentage of molecules that possess sufficient energy to react (that is, to exceed the activation energy) than upon the average kinetic energy of the system, modest reductions in temperature (for example, from 77 to 59^°F or from 25 to 15^°C, corresponding to only a 3% reduction in average kinetic energy) produce a marked depression (two- to threefold) in reaction rate. In addition, temperature specifies the equilibria between the formation and disruption of the noncovalent (electrostatic, hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bonding) interactions that stabilize both the higher levels of protein structure and macromolecular aggregations such as biological membranes. Maintenance of an appropriate structural flexibility is a requirement for both enzyme catalysis and membrane function, yet cold temperatures constrain while warm temperatures relax the conformational flexibility of both proteins and membrane lipids, thereby perturbing biological function. See Cell membranes, Enzyme Animals are classified into two broad groups depending on the factors that determine body temperature. For ectotherms, body temperature is determined by sources of heat external to the body; levels of resting metabolism (and heat production) are low, and mechanisms for retaining heat are limited. Such animals are frequently termed poikilothermic or cold-blooded, because the body temperature often conforms to the temperature of the environment. In contrast, endotherms produce more metabolic heat and possess specialized mechanisms for heat retention. Therefore, body temperature is elevated above ambient temperature; some endotherms (termed homeotherms or warm-blooded animals) maintain a relatively constant body temperature. There is no natural taxonomic division between ecto- and endotherms. Most invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and reptiles are ectotherms, while true homeothermy is restricted to birds and mammals. However, flying insects commonly elevate the temperature of their thoracic musculature prior to and during flight (to 96^°F or 36^°C), and several species of tuna retain metabolic heat in their locomotory musculature via a vascular countercurrent heat exchanger. See Hibernation, Thermoregulation
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