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Both the terms "warm-blooded" and "). Body temperature maintenance incorporates a wide range of different techniques that result in a body temperature continuum, with the traditional ideals of warm-blooded and Cold-blooded being at opposite ends of the spectrum. BREAKING DOWN WARM-BLOODEDNESS ''Warm-bloodedness'' generally refers to three separate aspects of Thermoregulation . #Endothermy is the ability of some creatures to control their body temperatures through internal means such as muscle shivering, fat burning, and panting (Greek: ''endo'' = "within," ''therm'' = "heat"). #Homeothermy is the kind of thermoregulation used by those creatures that maintain a stable internal body temperature regardless of external influence. This temperature is often higher than the immediate environment (Greek: ''homoios'' = "same, identical," ''therm'' = "heat"). #Tachymetabolism is the kind of thermoregulation used by creatures that maintain a high ''resting'' creatures. Tachymetabolic creatures have a harder time dealing with a scarcity of food. A large proportion of the creatures traditionally called "warm-blooded" (. Further studies on animals that were traditionally assumed to be Cold-blooded have shown that most creatures incorporate different variations of the three terms defined above, along with their counterparts ( Ectothermy , Poikilothermy and Bradymetabolism ). Thus creating a broad spectrum of body temperature types (see Between Warm-blooded And Cold-blooded ). MECHANISMS Endotherms include Bird s and Mammal s. The advantages of Endothermy are increased Enzyme activity and a constant body temperature, allowing these animals to be active in cold temperatures. On the other hand, the disadvantage is the need to maintain Thermoregulation , even during inactivity, otherwise the organism will die. ( Cold-blooded animals, such as fish and reptiles, are called ectotherms, meaning that they cannot control their internal temperature.) In , lick, or seek shelter or water. Diverse mechanisms regulate body temperature, such as shivering (when Muscles contract, their cells respire more - Respiration releases heat and is incidentally the main heat source in the body), blanching (circulatory changes to direct less heat to the skin), flushing (circulatory changes to radiate more heat from the skin), panting, or Sweating (to increase heat loss through Evaporation ). WARM-BLOODED VERSUS COLD-BLOODED Biochemical processes are heat dependent. Generally, they go faster when it is warm, and slower when it is cold. The advantage of being homeothermic is that internal chemical reactions function at an optimum level when the body of an animal maintains itself at or near an optimal temperature. This allows the creature to think, move, digest, etc. at its best possible speed and efficiency. Warm-blooded animals warm themselves by digesting food. The disadvantage of being warm-blooded is that you must always consume large amounts of Food Energy . When the core temperature of a warm-blooded animal changes, even by a few degrees, the animal rapidly loses its ability to function. The advantage of being cold-blooded is that an organism needs much less food. This enables it to survive famine, long ocean voyages, and shortages of prey when warm-blooded organisms would surely die. The disadvantage of being cold-blooded is that an organism needs to have multiple chemical pathways available to it, some of them for cooler temperature functioning, others for warm. A cold-blooded animal may move or think more slowly when the temperature is colder. BETWEEN WARM-BLOODED AND COLD-BLOODED Science has advanced far since the original distinction was made between warm- and cold-blooded animals, and the issue has been studied in closer detail. For example, we now know that cold-blooded animals all use behavioral means to adjust their temperatures, sometimes quite effectively. There are also creatures that do not properly fall into either category. Some examples of in between creatures include:
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