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GCSE Biology · key term
The rate at which the body uses energy to maintain essential functions while at rest.
Used by AQA and OCR
Specification 4.5.3.7 · Paper 2
Revise: Negative FeedbackThe thyroid gland releases thyroxine. It stimulates the basal metabolic rate: the rate at which the body uses energy to carry out essential functions while at rest. Thyroxine therefore affects the rate of chemical reactions in cells and plays an important role in growth and development.
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
The minimum rate of energy use needed to maintain the body's essential life processes.
Revise: Thyroxine and AdrenalineThyroxine raises the basal metabolic rate: the minimum rate at which the body uses energy to maintain essential processes. A higher thyroxine concentration therefore increases the rates of many chemical reactions in cells. Thyroxine also has an important role in normal growth and development.
Do not confuse adrenaline’s rapid response to fear or stress with thyroxine’s control of basal metabolic rate.
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