Use este identificador para citar ou linkar para este item: http://repositorio.ufla.br/jspui/handle/1/50937
Título: A gentle introduction to scaling relations in biological systems
Palavras-chave: Complex systems
Scaling theory
Modelling
Sistemas complexos
Leis de escala
Modelagem
Data do documento: Jan-2022
Editor: Sociedade Brasileira de Física
Citação: RIBEIRO, F. L.; PEREIRA, W. R. L. S. A gentle introduction to scaling relations in biological systems. Revista Brasileira de Ensino de Física, São Paulo, v. 44, e20210291, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9126-RBEF-2021-0291.
Resumo: In this paper it is presented a gentle review of empirical and theoretical advances in understanding the role of size in biological organisms. More specifically, it deals with how the energy demand, expressed by the metabolic rate, changes according to the mass of an organism. Empirical evidence suggests a power-law relation between mass and metabolic rate, namely the allometric equation. For vascular organisms, the exponent β of this powerlaw is smaller than one, which implies scaling economy; that is, the greater the organism is, the lesser energy per cell it demands. However, the numerical value of this exponent is a theme of extensive debate and a central issue in comparative physiology. A historical perspective is shown, beginning with the first empirical insights in the sec. 19 about scaling properties in biology, passing through the two more important theories that explain the scaling properties quantitatively. Firstly, the Rubner model considers organism surface area and heat dissipation to derive β = 2/3. Secondly, the West-Brown-Enquist theory explains such scaling properties due to the hierarchical and fractal nutrient distribution network, deriving β = 3/4.
URI: http://repositorio.ufla.br/jspui/handle/1/50937
Aparece nas coleções:DEX - Artigos publicados em periódicos

Arquivos associados a este item:
Arquivo Descrição TamanhoFormato 
ARTIGO_A gentle introduction to scaling relations in biological systems.pdf4,85 MBAdobe PDFVisualizar/Abrir


Este item está licenciada sob uma Licença Creative Commons Creative Commons