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Homeothermy and Poikilothermy

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being homeothermic (an organism that maintains its own temperature) or poikilothermic (an organism whose temperature varies with the ambient temperature)?

Thanks in advance :smile:
Original post by grassgrazers01
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being homeothermic (an organism that maintains its own temperature) or poikilothermic (an organism whose temperature varies with the ambient temperature)?

Thanks in advance :smile:


Poikilotherms are animals in which the body temperature varies with the surrounding environment. As they are usually ectotherms they absorb the heat from the surrounding environment, and thus don't need to use very much energy to maintain their body temperature. However they are dependent on the surrounding temperature in the environment and are susceptible to any fluctuations in it. Examples include snakes and lizards.

Homeotherms are animals that maintain a constant body temperature. They are endotherms and derive their heat internally from their metabolism. They are not, however, dependent on the external temperature and thus can live in various environments, but they do use energy for homeostasis. Examples are most mammals, birds and insects.

Hope this helped :smile:

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