I've been thinking a lot about finding that human body temperature has been decreasing since the Industrial Revolution for a while now.
https://elifesciences.org/articles/49555

Today I say a post about rising CO2 and wondered what effect ambient CO2 might have on Na/K ATPase. While we are taught that heat is generated in the mitochondrion via futile cycling of protons across the mt. membrane, Na/K ATPase activity also contributes. Ectotherms have lower Na/K ATPase activity than endotherms.

So I wondered if CO2 levels affect Na/K ATPase activity, and I found this -
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7073107/

Unfortunately I don't have time to read the article and it may be weeks before I can read it.

CO2 levels have been increasing since the Industrial Revolution, Na/K ATPase activity is reduced by CO2 ( in lung epithelium) - could rising CO2 levels be causing the decrease in body temperature?
It's an interesting idea, but I would have to study a lot more to be able to gauge its plausibility.

If there is something to it - it seems like it would be a big deal, just like the decrease in body temperature is, IMO, a big deal.

#thermoregulation #physiology #CO2 #ClimateChange #BodyTemperature #NaKATPase #SodiumPump