Chapter 39.3, Problem 2C

Summary Introduction

To determine: The costs and benefits of endothermy.

Introduction: In order to survive and function properly animals need to maintain and internal temperature within relatively narrow limits. When the internal environment of the body is balanced, it is referred to as homeostasis. The body temperature is maintained within these narrow limits despite the changes in the surrounding temperature through a process called thermoregulation. Animal’s structural, behavioral, and physiological strategies decide the type of environment it can inhabit.