| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 1,733,409,429 visitors served. |
|
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
ectotherm |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.02 sec. |
ectothermAny so-called cold-blooded animal; that is, any animal whose regulation of body temperature depends on external sources, such as sunlight or a heated rock surface. The ectotherms include the fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. The body temperatures of aquatic ectotherms are usually very close to those of the water. Ectotherms do not require as much food as warm-blooded animals (endotherms) of the same size, but most cannot deal as well with cold surroundings. ectotherm [′ek·tə‚thərm] (physiology) An animal that obtains most of its heat from the environment and therefore has a body temperature very close to that of its environment. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| ? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | |
|---|---|---|
Instead, these ectotherms keep a healthy body temperature by moving between colder and warmer areas. In the lake frog (Rana ridibunda), West Nile viremia capable of infecting mosquitoes (14,15) develops, and antibodies develop in Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) and other ectotherms alter natural infection (16,17). Seasonal cues such as photoperiod and temperature, acting through the neuroendocrine system, have been proposed as responsible for multiple changes in immune function indicators in ectotherms (44). |
| Encyclopedia |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup | Partner with us |
|---|