Why is internal temperature regulation an important homeostasis?

Internal temperature of your body must be tighly controlled. The key processes of your body are driven by enzymatic activity and there is an optimal temperature at which these operate. If body temperature increases above normal levels the acitivity of enzymes will decrease. This decrease is caused by the denaturing of the protein structure. The increased kinetic energy levels will cause the individual peptide strands of the protein to unfold; it is this unfolding that means the protein can no longer function as its specific structure is no longer correct. If large numbers of protein denature then the rate of the reaction that it catalyses will decrease as there is reduced enzyme activity. If body temperature drops too low then there will be insufficent kinetic energy in the system to produce high rates of reaction. Less kinetic energy in the form of heat means individual molecules involved will have less enzyme substrate collisions. It is these collisions which cause the reactions to occur.

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Answered by Archie I. Biology tutor

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