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About Me
Hi! I’m Anna Stoffel, and I’m a biology major (and environmental studies minor) from Ann Arbor, MI. I have been interested in plant thermogenesis in particular for a very long time (ever since I had learned that plants that could produce heat existed right by the old creek near my house back in Michigan) - and so when I learned about the capstone research requirement I knew that this would be a great opportunity to learn more about these fascinating organisms. I am quite interested in plant biology and ecology in general (not just the thermogenic plant species, though they are what sparked my interest in the first place) - one of my favorite classes at Mac had to have been Plant Ecophysiology, as it taught me so much more about how exactly different plants functioned and how they changed in response to external factors (surrounding species, water availability, sunlight access, etc.). I have had experience in both lab and field work, and I honestly like them both - there is so much to be learned from either of these research approaches! In my spare time, I enjoy knitting, baking, painting, and going for long walks in the woods during wildflower bloom seasons.
Abstract
This literature review will be focused on the mechanisms of thermogenesis in plants and the functions it serves within them. The definition of “thermogenesis” is the production of heat in a living organism through metabolic processes, and while it is most often a feature present in animals (such as mammals and birds) it has been recognized in some plant families. As this is a very rare trait among plants in general (species expressing this trait have only been found in 14 out of approximately 413 seed plant families, as of 2025), I wanted to examine the existing literature to compare the mechanisms by which heat is produced and the purposes said heat is used for between several thermogenic plant species.
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