As in other mammals, thermoregulation is an important aspect of human homeostasis. Most body heat is generated in the deep organs, especially the liver, brain, and heart, and in contraction of skeletal muscles. Humans have been able to adapt to a great diversity of climates, including hot humid and hot arid.
Japanese knotweed is a perennial weed, producing tall canes, up to 2.1m (7ft) in height during the summer. The canes have characteristic purple flecks, and produce branches from nodes along its length. These branches support shovel-shaped leaves.
Polygonum cuspidatum, known by the common name Japanese knotweed, is a tall, stout herbaceous perennial (Seiger, 2005) and is a member of the Polygonaceae (Seiger, 2005). In China it is referred to as Hu Zhanz. Japanese knotweed is also known under the scientific names Fallopia japonica and Reynoutria japonica. The leaves are alternately arranged and are oval with pointed tips and a truncate base. They measure approximately 15 cm long by 7.5-10 cm wide (Remaley, 2005).