Question:
Aside from having different body temperatures, how are
warm and cold blooded animals differ in their blood type? What makes
their blood types different from each other?
Replies:
The term "cold-blooded" refers to the fact that the animal controls it's
blood temperature externally. It also has a metabolism which slows at rest
and keeps it's body temperature close to ambient air temperature.
Cold-blooded animals carry their blood supply through their body much the
same way we do.
Grace Fields
Their blood is not essentially different from other organisms. All
organisms that breathe oxygen have hemoglobin as the major part of their blood. The
proteins on the surface of their cells that identify them, ie. their "ID
tags" will be different. The terms "warm blooded" and "cold blooded" are kind of
confusing. Actually, the terms homeothermic (maintain a constant body
temperature) and poikilothermic (get their body heat from their surroundings) is
more descriptive. Homeotherms use some of the energy they get from burning
food to keep their bodies at the same temperature all the time. Poikilotherms
use the heat from the environment, so they don't need to eat as often. There
are trade offs to both lifestyles. In the first, an organism has to eat a
lot more, but can keep active even when it is cold. In the second, they don't
have to eat as much, but when it gets cold, their metabolism and their
nervous systems slow down.
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