Why is temperature important to living things?

Temperature is considered an important part of the lives of plants and animals.  Without the right temperature, many livings will not be able to function properly, and many will not survive.  When talking about temperature, it could mean life or death for some living things.

One reason behind the importance of temperature in living things is that it literally affects the metabolic activities that go on for various reasons like food production or processing, for example.  Generally, metabolic processes and enzyme function in many living organisms can only go on at the right temperature.  When things are so cold, this particular process may also slow down. And when the opposite happens, there may be too much heat generated, and it will disrupt the physiological processes in living things and perhaps even damage the cycle of life.

In terms of survival, living organisms also rely on the right temperatures.  Polar bears and penguins, for example, need very icy conditions in order for them to survive.  These animal species literally need ice chunks to help them in their feeding and breeding.  The hibernation in polar bears also helps them survive the long winter as their bodily processes will also slow down.  The opposite is also true for other animals in tropical regions.  They also need the temperature to be warm enough to live and survive.  Some birds, for example, migrate to other countries to adapt to climates and temperature changes.  This is also true for some sea creatures that travel long distances to ideal locations with the right temperatures for breeding or egg-laying purposes.

In the case of plant life, temperature also gives a balance to the environment.  With temperature extremes, many plant species will not survive.  With plant decay and loss, many animal species will also be affected as there will be fewer food sources and less shelter provided by these plants.