Biology 2601A/B Lecture : organismal phys
20 Feb 2012
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Animals and plants come in a range of body sizes. For example, a golf ball has more surface area than a soccer ball per unit volume. Golf balls have about equal surface areas and volume, but in a soccer ball there is a decrease in the amount of surface area per unit volume. A graph of log surface area versus log volume gives a slope of 2/3 and sa = . A graph of log surface area per unit volume versus log volume gives a slope of -1/3 and sa/v = . Surface area : volume ratios decrease as animals get bigger. If an animal has a larger sa : volume ratio, it will lose or gain heat faster. A larger sa : volume ratio results in greater perspiration. A larger sa : volume ratio gives animals more problems friction. It makes it harder for smaller animals to move through air or water.
