A consistent asymptotic theory describing hydrodynamic and thermal turbulent boundary layers on a flat plate in zero pressure gradient is developed. The fact that the flow depends on a limited number of governing parameters allows us to formulate algebraic closure conditions that relate the turbulent shear stress and turbulent heat flux to mean velocity and temperature gradients. As a result of an exact asymptotic solution of the boundary-layer equations, the known laws of the wall for the velocity and temperature and the velocity and temperature defect laws as well as the expressions for the skin-friction coefficient, Stanton number, and Reynolds-analogy factor are obtained. The latter implies two new formulations for the temperature defect law one of which is completely similar to the velocity defect law and does not contain the Stanton number and the turbulent Prandtl number, and the other does not contain the skin-friction coefficient. A heat-transfer law is obtained that relates only thermal quantities. The theoretical conclusions agree well with experimental data. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.