Why is the term "ectothermic" better than the term "cold-blooded"?

Answer 1

Because organisms like reptiles who are known as "cold blooded" don't actually have cold blood; if they had cold blood they would die. Their blood is actually hot, but their internal temperatures cannot be regulated by physiology (such as shivering). Ecothermic describes what they are like: ecotherm means taking in heat, and these organisms do take in heat, often from basking in the sun.

Answer 2

Ectothermic Cold Blooded

Answer 3

Cold-blooded organisms (called "poikilotherms") maintain their body temperatures in ways different from mammals and birds. The term is now outdated in scientific contexts. Cold-blooded creatures were, initially, presumed to be incapable of maintaining their body temperatures at all. They were presumed to be "slaves" to their environments. Whatever the environmental temperature was, so too was their body temperature. Cold-blooded animals are now called ectotherms, a term which signifies that their heat (therm) comes from outside (ecto) of them; the term cold-blooded is misleading.

Answer 4

ectothermic. animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature ...

because the word "cold blooded' is misleading
It has nothing to with the blood.

Answer 5

It isn't better...it's just the empirical name that better describes the "system" of a cold-blooded creature. It's means their body tempeture is regulated by the external (ecto) atmospheric temepture as opposed to an internal (endo) regulator in warm blooded creatures such a metabolic rate.

Answer 6

Because it's a scientific term, I guess.

Answer 7

Makes you sound smarter.

Answer 8

it isnt people just use it