ectotherm

ectotherm, any so-called cold-blooded animal—that is, any animal whose regulation of body temperature depends on external sources, such as sunlight or a heated rock surface. The ectotherms include the fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. The body temperature of an aquatic ectotherm is usually very close to the temperature of the surrounding water. Ectotherms do not require as much food as warm-blooded animals (endotherms) of the same size do but may be more dramatically affected by temperature fluctuations.

Ectotherms that live in regions where temperatures fluctuate seasonally avoid extremes by taking shelter in burrows or similar locations or by becoming dormant to some degree (e.g., in winter, fish may rest near the bottom of a body of water). In addition, ectotherms employ biochemical strategies to combat the effects of extreme temperatures. Since excessive heat can damage proteins in an animal’s body, during periods of heat stress, ectotherms release heat-shock proteins, which help stabilize other proteins and thus prevent their denaturation (modification of a protein’s molecular structure).

In colder environments, where ectotherms may be exposed to freezing temperatures, some species may alter their body chemistry to restrict the growth of ice crystals in their cells and tissues or to prevent ice crystal formation altogether. Many ectotherms can manufacture and flood their bloodstream and tissues with cryoprotectants—ice-inhibiting compounds, such as proteins, sugars, and sugar alcohols (e.g., sorbitol and glycerol)—or they can use other dissolved substances, such as salts, already present in the bloodstream. Such adaptations protect the animals’ cells from freezing by lowering the freezing point of water. For example, the wood frog (Lithobates sylvatica) survives the winter by manufacturing excess sugars (specifically, by converting glycogen into glucose) that protect the animal’s cells and tissues, though much of the water in the frog’s body may freeze. Similarly, ray-finned fishes inhabiting polar marine environments have high internal salt concentrations that inhibit freezing, and they produce glycoproteins that serve as cryoprotectants.