noun
- the physiological process by which an organism generates and maintains body heat internally, independent of environmental temperature
Usage: biology term; also called endothermic metabolism
Examples
- Mammals rely on endothermy to maintain a constant body temperature regardless of their surroundings.
- Birds exhibit endothermy, which allows them to remain active in cold climates.
- The metabolic cost of endothermy is higher than that of ectothermy, requiring more frequent feeding.
- Endothermy enables animals to be active at night and in winter when ectothermic animals cannot be.
- Scientists study endothermy in different species to understand evolutionary adaptations to various environments.