Ask A Scientist Zoology Archive

name        Abigail W.
status       student
age          14

Question -   Why do warm blooded animals convert less of what they eat
into new body tissue?
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To greatly oversimplify, warm blooded animals burn energy from food to maintain body 
temperature, while cold-blooded animals use less energy for this purpose. Actually the 
processes are much more varied and complex. See this site for a summary:
http://www.dinosauria.com/jdp/misc/blood.htm

J. Elliott
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