key concept 39.3 Biological Processes Are Temperature-Sensitive

Temperatures of environments where organisms live vary enormously, from the boiling hot springs of Yellowstone National Park to the interior of Antarctica, where the temperature can fall below –80°C. But in general, cells can function over only a narrow range of temperatures. The evolution of thermoregulatory adaptations enables maintenance of suitable thermal conditions in the internal environment.

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  • Cells can survive only within a small range of the temperatures that occur on Earth.

  • Q10 values are measures of temperature sensitivity of biochemical reactions or physiological processes.

  • Temperature acclimatization allows animals to shift their metabolic rates as they experience seasonal changes in external temperatures.

  • Metabolic acclimatization enables animals to adapt to seasonal temperature changes.