Reptiles are ectotherms which rely on their behaviors and the environment to maintain a constant body temperature. When a lizard lays directly onto a hot rock to warm itself, what type of energy transfer method is it using

Question

Heidy Berger

Biology

22 April, 12:48

Reptiles are ectotherms which rely on their behaviors and the environment to maintain a constant body temperature. When a lizard lays directly onto a hot rock to warm itself, what type of energy transfer method is it using

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Answers (1)

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Kareem Brennan · Answer 1

conduction

Explanation:

Since ectotherms lack the capacity to generate heat within their body, one of the mechanisms they use in generating heat from the environment in order to maintain constant body temperature is, energy transfer by conduction. Conduction occurs when a lizard lays directly onto a hot rock.

Heat from the sun is transferred to the rock by radiation as the rock absorb the heat energy. This heat that is radiated in the rock is then transferred to a lizard that lays on it through conduction, and as the lizard absorbs this heat from the rock, they become warm.

Energy transfer by conduction is mainly achieved through direct contact, and this is one of the methods that ectotherms like lizard rely upon to maintain constant body temperature.