Quantum statistics and allometric scaling of organisms

Lloyd Demetrius

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2003, vol. 322, issue C, 477-490

Abstract: This article proposes a mechanism to explain allometric relations between basal metabolic rate and the body size of organisms. The model postulates that energy transduction in biological organisms is constrained by two classes of dynamical processes: The first process has its origin in quantum mechanics and the constraints which the coupling of electron transport and proton translocation impose on metabolic activity. The second derives from evolutionary dynamics and the constraints which ecological and demographic forces impose on metabolic rate. These two processes are invoked to show that the scaling exponent between basal metabolic rate and body size follows a 34 rule, in the case of organisms subject to ecological constraints defined by scarce but dependable resources, and a 23 rule when constraints are defined by ample but only temporarily available resources. Our conclusions are based on general arguments incorporating the molecular mechanisms that determine metabolic activity at all levels of biological organization. Hence the model applies to uni-cellular organisms, plants and animals.

Keywords: Quantum statistics; Allometric relations; Metabolic rate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037843710300013X
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only. Journal offers the option of making the article available online on Science direct for a fee of $3,000

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:322:y:2003:i:c:p:477-490

DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(03)00013-X

Access Statistics for this article

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications is currently edited by K. A. Dawson, J. O. Indekeu, H.E. Stanley and C. Tsallis

More articles in Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().