In mammal such as humans the temperature and pH of body fliuds are kept constant.Why is this?
You would have learnt in many animals that we rely on biological catalysts called enzymes to enhance the rate of reaction dramatically. Enzymes are sensitive proteins that work best under a set of optimum conditions. They need to be at a temperature around 36-37 Celcius for humans. Too cold and the reaction drops too far to sustain life. Too hot and the proteins become denatured (literally cooked and deformed permanently). If the pH is not right the binding sites and protein conformation may also react and change. Keeping things like temperature, pH, ion balance, water levels and substrate concentration constant contribute to what’s called homeostasis and ensures the body is at a condition that allows life to be best sustained.
