Abstract
ABSTRACT To the Editor.— It has always been a puzzle why the deep body temperature of warm-blooded animals (homeotherms) lies in the narrow range between 36 C for the elephant and 41 C for rabbits. Within this range, man and the primates maintain a constant temperature of 37 C.In their book Man in a Cold Envi-ronment (London, Arnold, 1955, Burton and Edholm state that it has been a matter of general speculation as to why we should not find homeothermic animals that regulate their core temperature at lower or at higher temperatures, say at 23 C or 45 C. They noted that few suggestions have ever been advanced and pointed out that the optimum temperature for enzyme activity is about 37 C. This might suggest that biological adaption has been towards this optimal temperature for enzymes. The authors admitted, however, that their arguments were not entirely convincing and concluded
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call