endotherm

endotherm

So-called warm-blooded animals; that is, those that maintain a constant body temperature independent of the environment. The endotherms include the birds and mammals. If heat loss exceeds heat generation, metabolism increases to make up the loss or the animal shivers to raise its body temperature. If heat generation exceeds the heat loss, mechanisms such as panting or perspiring increase heat loss. Unlike ectotherms, endotherms can be active and survive at quite low external temperatures, but because they must produce heat continuously, they require high quantities of “fuel” (i.e., food).

---

endotherm [′en·də‚thərm]

(physical chemistry)

In differential thermal analysis, a graph of the temperature difference between a sample compound and a thermally inert reference compound (commonly aluminum oxide) as the substances are simultaneously heated to elevated temperatures at a predetermined rate, and the sample compound undergoes endothermal or exothermal processes.

(physiology)

An animal that produces enough heat from its own metabolism and employs devices to retard heat loss so that it is able to keep its body temperature higher than that of its environment.