Question

What is the term for an animal that keeps a constant internal temperature? What are five things (anatomical, behavioral, or physiological) that animals have (or do) that allow them to A) keep cool when it is hot and B) keep warm when it is cold? (think about the factors that influence heat gain and heat loss)

Answer 1

the term that is used for an animal that keeps a constant internal temperature is Thermoregulation. Generally the Endotherms are warm blooded and Ectotherms are cold blooded. In case of humans, it is Homeostasis.

Thermoregulation in both endotherms and ectotherms is controlled mainly by the preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus.

when the environment is hot-->the adaptations and strategies to maximize heat loss are

1. Behavioural adaptations like living in burrows during the day and being nocturna
2. Physiological adaptations :Evaporative cooling by perspiration and panting     Storing fat reserves in one place to avoid its insulating effect Ex:in camel hump
3. Anatomical adaptations :elongated, often vascularized extremities to conduct body heat to the air.

when the environment is cold-->the adaptations and strategies to minimize heat loss are :

Anatomical :

1. Using small smooth muscles (arrector pili in mammals), which are attached to feather or hair shafts; this distorts the surface of the skin making feather/hair shaft stand erect (called goose bumps or pimples) which slows the movement of air across the skin and minimizes heat loss.
2. Increasing body size to more easily maintain core body temperature (warm-blooded animals in cold climates tend to be larger than similar species in warmer climates.)
3. Have shortened extremities.

Physiological :

1. Having the ability to store energy as fat for metabolism

1. Have countercurrent blood flow in extremities – this is where the warm arterial blood travelling to the limb passes the cooler venous blood from the limb and heat is exchanged warming the venous blood and cooling the arterial (ex : Arctic wolf or penguins)