thermogenesis

Thermogenesis is the process of heat production in the metabolism of organisms. It occurs in all warm-blooded animals, and also in a few species of thermogenic plants such as the Eastern skunk cabbage, the Voodoo lily (Sauromatum venosum), and the giant water lilies of the genus Victoria. The lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe, Arceuthobium americanum, disperses its seeds explosively through thermogenesis. Thermoregulation is an important component of a homeothermic animal's resting metabolic rate (RMR) and serves to defend body temperature within narrow limits at low or high ambient temperature. The energy used to sustain thermogenesis is obtained in cellular respiration when nutrients such as glucose or fatty acids are oxidized to generate molecules of ATP.

== Types == Depending on whether or not they are initiated through locomotion and intentional movement of the muscles, thermogenic processes can be classified as one of the following: Obligatory thermogenesis: Heat generated from energy expenditure for vital metabolic processes necessary to sustain an organism at rest. Obligatory thermogenesis includes both cellular work (e.g., active transport, cell division, DNA replication) and organ work (e.g., myocardial contractility, liver detoxification, renal filitration). Exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT) Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): Energy expended for any spontaneous physical activity that is not a structured exercise routine or sports-like exercise. This can include but is not limited to walking, leisure activities, fidgeting, and maintaining posture. Diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT): Energy expended to process the nutrients in food.