Palavras-chave
Ectotermia
Fisiologia comparada
Neuroendocrinologia
Sinalização celular
Ecologia térmica
Resumo
La termorregulación representa uno de los procesos fisiológicos fundamentales para la supervivencia, distribución y rendimiento biológico de reptiles, un grupo compuesto mayoritariamente por organismos ectodérmicos. Esta revisión bibliográfica pretende describir, en profundidad teórica, los mecanismos conductuales, fisiológicos, morfológicos, neuroendocrinos y de señalización celular implicados en la regulación de la temperatura corporal, además de analizar las implicaciones ecológicas y evolutivas de este proceso. Se utilizó una revisión bibliográfica con base científica, seleccionando trabajos y revisiones primarias publicadas entre 2000 y 2026. Los resultados demuestran que los reptiles no dependen únicamente de la temperatura ambiental; por el contrario, integran respuestas conductuales (exposición al sol, selección de micro hábitat), fisiológicas (ajuste de la circulación sanguínea, tasa metabólica, control respiratorio), neuroendocrinas (eje hipotalámico-hipófisis-tiroideo, acción de tiroxina y triyodotironina) y de células musculares (acoplamiento excitación-contracción, homeostasis calcio, respiración mitocondrial) para mantener la temperatura corporal dentro de rangos óptimos, generalmente entre 25 °C y 35 °C. Se destaca el papel de la tiroxina en la modulación de la tasa metabólica basal y la producción de ATP y calor mitocondrial, así como la importancia de la señalización cálcica en las células musculares para el ajuste de la actividad contráctil y la respiración celular en respuesta a las variaciones térmicas. Se concluye que la termorregulación es un fenómeno multidisciplinar y altamente integrado, fuertemente influenciado por el cambio climático, con efectos directos en la fisiología, reproducción y conservación de las especies.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Pricilla de Jesus Matos, Alana Silva Marques de Castro, Anne Melissa Fernandes Cordeiro, Evelyn Oliveira Vieira, Gabriella Bastos de Oliveira, Geovanna Sena de Abreu, Ingrid Julieth Riaño Cabezas, Laura Silva Portela Oliveira, Maria Clara Brito de Assis, Maria Clara Santana Sousa, Maria Julia Ferreira de Matos Veiga, Maria Luiza de Sousa Rodrigues, Paulo Ricardo Magalhães Lima, Pedro Victor Trindade Fentanes, Thairône Sacramento Barreto, Carlos Augusto Lucas Brandão (Autor)