The study of heat has become prominent in metal cutting as it has very critical influence on machining processes. Any machining process involves three basic elements viz., chip, tool and workpiece. Heat developed among these three elements is vital and may cause considerable effect in the machining performance. The heat is generated due to several factors among which friction between the tool and the chip is one of the reasons. The effect of heat generation can be viewed in two forms, one from the workpiece and another form the cutting tool. In this paper a review has been done on the various sources of heat generation and its considerable effects on the life of cutting tool and the quality of the machined part. A study has also been conducted on the temperature distribution on the different regions. Generation of heat can be controlled by various machining parameters and cutting tool geometry, this paper also focuses on various factors that influences on the temperature generation. Although any amount of heat can be generated during machining, the determination of cutting temperature is also one of the important factors. A review is also done on various measurement techniques of cutting temperature. For the betterment of the machining, the perspective of heat generation in metal cutting is a prominent factor.