Re-examination of the "3/4-law" of Metabolism
| dc.creator | Dodds, Peter Sheridan | |
| dc.creator | Rothman, Daniel H. | |
| dc.creator | Weitz, Joshua S. | |
| dc.date | 2000-07-28 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-07T05:44:22Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-07T05:44:22Z | |
| dc.description | We examine the scaling law $B \propto M^α$ which connects organismal metabolic rate $B$ with organismal mass $M$, where $α$ is commonly held to be 3/4. Since simple dimensional analysis suggests $α=2/3$, we consider this to be a null hypothesis testable by empirical studies. We re-analyze data sets for mammals and birds compiled by Heusner, Bennett and Harvey, Bartels, Hemmingsen, Brody, and Kleiber, and find little evidence for rejecting $α=2/3$ in favor of $α=3/4$. For mammals, we find a possible breakdown in scaling for larger masses reflected in a systematic increase in $α$. We also review theoretical justifications of $α=3/4$ based on dimensional analysis, nutrient-supply networks, and four-dimensional biology. We find that present theories for $α=3/4$ require assumptions that render them unconvincing for rejecting the null hypothesis that $α=2/3$. | |
| dc.description | Revtex4, 14 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Journal of Theoretical Biology | |
| dc.identifier | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0007096 | |
| dc.identifier | http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0007096 | |
| dc.identifier | J. Theor. Biol., 209(1), pp 9-29 (2003) | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/83611 | |
| dc.subject | Biological Physics | |
| dc.subject | Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability | |
| dc.subject | Other Quantitative Biology | |
| dc.title | Re-examination of the "3/4-law" of Metabolism | |
| dc.type | text |