Final answer:
An increase in body temperature can accelerate biochemical reactions and whole organism respiration rates. Higher temperatures provide more energy to molecules, causing them to move and collide more frequently, which speeds up reaction rates. Increased body temperature also increases the rate of metabolic reactions, including respiration.
Step-by-step explanation:
An increase in body temperature has an acute effect on biochemical reactions and whole organism respiration rates. When the body temperature increases, the rate of chemical reactions in the body also increases. This is because an increase in temperature provides more energy to the molecules, allowing them to move and collide more frequently, thus speeding up the reaction rates.
An example of this is enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in the body. At higher temperatures, enzymes have more kinetic energy and move faster, which enhances their ability to bind with substrates and catalyze reactions.
The increase in body temperature also affects whole organism respiration rates. Respiration is the process by which organisms obtain energy from glucose. A higher body temperature increases the rate of metabolic reactions, including respiration. This leads to an increased demand for oxygen and more rapid utilization of glucose for energy.