Body temperature regulation, or thermoregulation, is the biological process by which organisms maintain internal body temperature within a physiologically optimal range despite external or internal thermal perturbations. In homeothermic animals, this involves coordinated neural, endocrine, and autonomic mechanisms centered primarily in the hypothalamus, which integrates thermal sensory input from peripheral and core thermoreceptors. Effectors include changes in blood flow (vasodilation and vasoconstriction), sweating or panting, shivering thermogenesis, non-shivering thermogenesis (e.g., brown adipose tissue activity), and behavioral responses such as seeking shade or warmth. Thermoregulation is critical for enzymatic function, metabolic homeostasis, and overall organismal survival.
In a novel experiment at the University of Cincinnati, researchers recently isolated kissing bugs, fruit flies, mosquitoes and spider beetles in a climate- and light-controlled environment and found that they responded predictably ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 22, 2026
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With the release of "Disclosure Day," Steven Spielberg's new film about aliens, a question as old as science fiction itself resurfaces: If aliens were to arrive on Earth, would they come to conquer us, to study us ... or ...
Astrobiology
Jun 21, 2026
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When temperatures rise, sleep often suffers. Hot nights can make it harder to fall asleep, increase waking during the night and leave people feeling less rested the next day.
Environment
Jun 20, 2026
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Sealed within an eggshell, how can chicks prepare for the world into which they are about to hatch, with no obvious direct communication channel across the shell? Adult zebra finches produce distinctive high-pitched warning ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 11, 2026
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Sloths are the slowest mammals on the planet, but living in dense jungles has made them notoriously difficult to study. For the first time, scientists have now sequenced and analyzed the two-toed sloth genome and revealed ...
Evolution
Jun 9, 2026
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A drug once dismissed as ineffective suddenly worked—when scientists tested it under more realistic conditions that mimic the human body. In this surprising new discovery, Northwestern University scientists uncovered a hidden ...
Biotechnology
Jun 9, 2026
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As climate change alters the temperatures of animal habitats, it seems natural that endotherms, warm-blooded animals, would prefer to hang out in the shade during hot weather. The use of microhabitats in the sun and shade ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 4, 2026
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New research from the University of Sydney has provided the first associative link between heat stress and koala mortality. Published in Biology Letters, the results highlight how even moderate temperature rises can increase ...
Plants & Animals
May 26, 2026
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Over the past few decades, heat waves have become more common in several parts of the world as our planet warms. That's a huge problem for many animals, as it can lead to habitat loss and push their bodies to lethal thresholds. ...
Azara's owl monkeys, a small primate species found in South America, are heavier today than those that lived a quarter-century ago, and evidence suggests that rising temperatures might have driven the weight gain, according ...
Plants & Animals
May 20, 2026
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