Question

What animals are endotherms?

Answer 1

Endotherms are animals, mainly mammals and birds, that can maintain a constant body temperature internally regardless of external environmental changes. They evolved this ability to self-regulate internal heat, allowing for high activity levels in various temperatures.

Step-by-step explanation:

What Animals are Endotherms?

Animals that are endotherms can regulate their body temperature internally through metabolic processes even when the environmental temperature changes. The main groups of endothermic animals are mammals and birds. These animals evolved from reptile-like ancestors and developed the ability to maintain a constant body temperature, otherwise known as endothermy or homeothermy.

Mammals such as bats, whales, mice, and humans, and birds, which now belong within the reptile clade, can generate their own body heat. Endothermy allows these animals to maintain a level of metabolic and physical activity at varying environmental temperatures, something that ectothermic animals are not able to do efficiently because their body temperature is regulated by their surroundings.

The evolution of endothermy has enabled mammals and birds to inhabit diverse environments by maintaining their body temperature at an optimal level for cellular functions, regardless of external conditions. For instance, shivering and sweating in humans are responses that help maintain body temperature at approximately 37°C. Overall, the capability to self-regulate body temperature provides endotherms with adaptive advantages, allowing for high levels of activity in cooler temperatures.

Answer 2

Endotherms are animals like mammals and birds that maintain a consistent internal body temperature through metabolic processes, allowing them to be active in diverse environments. Unlike ectotherms, which rely on external temperatures, endotherms can generate their own body heat even in cold conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Animals that maintain a constant body temperature in the face of environmental changes are known as endotherms. These animals, such as mammals and birds, have evolved the ability to regulate their body temperature from the inside, which sets them apart from ectotherms that rely on the environment to regulate their temperature. For endotherms, internal heat is generated to keep cellular processes functioning optimally, even in cold environments.

Mammals and birds both descended from reptile-like ancestors and share the trait of endothermy. This adaptation allows them to maintain a high metabolic rate and level of activity, regardless of the exterior temperatures. On the other hand, maintaining constant body temperature is energy-intensive, requiring endothermic animals to consume more food.

Unlike endotherms, ectotherms and poikilotherms do not have the same ability to regulate internal temperatures. While ectotherms depend mainly on the outside temperature, certain animals, like some deep sea fish species, may still maintain a relatively stable body temperature due to their constant environmental conditions, and can be considered ectothermic homeotherms.