ectotherm

ectotherm
ectothermic, adj.
/ek"teuh therrm'/, n. Zool.
a cold-blooded animal.
[1940-45; ECTO- + THERM]

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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 temperatures of aquatic ectotherms are usually very close to those of the water. Ectotherms do not require as much food as warm-blooded animals (endotherms) of the same size, but most cannot deal as well with cold surroundings.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • ectotherm — noun Date: 1940 a cold blooded animal ; poikilotherm • ectothermic adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Ectotherm — Als ektotherm bezeichnet man zoologisch Tiere, deren Körpertemperatur vollständig von der Umwelt abhängig ist und normalerweise nicht von ihrem Stoffwechsel beeinflusst wird. Die gegenteilige Eigenschaft nennt man endotherm. So hängt bei… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ectotherm — an organism with a body temperature determined by the environment; poikilotherm; cold blooded …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • ectotherm — noun a cold blooded animal which regulates its body temperature by exchanging heat with its surroundings See Also: endotherm …   Wiktionary

  • ectotherm — ec·to·therm ek tə .thərm n a cold blooded animal: POIKILOTHERM ec·to·ther·mic .ek tə thər mik adj * * * ec·to·therm (ekґto thərm) [ecto + therm] 1. an animal that exhibits ectothermy. 2. poikilotherm …   Medical dictionary

  • ectotherm — n. cold blooded animal, organism that has a variable body temperature which is regulated by the environment (such as reptiles and frogs) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • ectotherm — [ ɛktəʊθə:m] noun Zoology an animal that is dependent on external sources of body heat. Derivatives ectothermic adjective ectothermy noun …   English new terms dictionary

  • ectotherm — ec·to·therm …   English syllables

  • ectotherm — ec•to•therm [[t]ˈɛk təˌθɜrm[/t]] n. phl zool. a cold blooded animal • Etymology: 1940–45 ec to•ther′mic, adj …   From formal English to slang

  • ectotherm — noun an animal whose body temperature varies with the temperature of its surroundings; any animal except birds and mammals • Syn: ↑poikilotherm • Derivationally related forms: ↑poikilothermic (for: ↑poikilotherm), ↑poikilothermous ( …   Useful english dictionary

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