Abstract
Allometric scaling relations, including the 3/4 power law for metabolic rates, are characteristic of all organisms and are here derived from a general model that describes how essential materials are transported through space-filling fractal networks of branching tubes. The model assumes that the energy dissipated is minimized and that the terminal tubes do not vary with body size. It provides a complete analysis of scaling relations for mammalian circulatory systems that are in agreement with data. More generally, the model predicts structural and functional properties of vertebrate cardiovascular and respiratory systems, plant vascular systems, insect tracheal tubes, and other distribution networks.
Keywords
AllometryScalingScaling lawStatistical physicsBiological systemPower lawBranching (polymer chemistry)FractalBiologyMechanicsEcologyMathematicsPhysicsMathematical analysisStatisticsGeometryMaterials science
Affiliated Institutions
Related Publications
Allometric scaling of maximum population density: a common rule for marine phytoplankton and terrestrial plants
A primary goal of macroecology is to identify principles that apply across varied ecosystems and taxonomic groups. Here we show that the allometric relationship observed between...
Allometry in primates, with emphasis on scaling and the evolution of the brain.
Allometry should be defined broadly as the study of size and its consequences, not narrowly as the application of power functions to the data of growth. Variation in size may be...
Size and Scaling in Human Evolution
Our general conclusion is simply stated: many lineages display phyletic size increase; allometric changes almost always accompany increase in body size. We cannot judge adaptati...
Neural computation by concentrating information in time.
An analog model neural network that can solve a general problem of recognizing patterns in a time-dependent signal is presented. The networks use a patterned set of delays to co...
Lattice-lattice scaling and the generalized law of corresponding states
Lattice-dependent scaled temperature and field variables are shown to produce a generalization of the law of corresponding states. This generalization equates the appropriately ...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1997
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 276
- Issue
- 5309
- Pages
- 122-126
- Citations
- 4853
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
4853
OpenAlex
Cite This
Geoffrey B. West,
James H. Brown,
Brian J. Enquist
(1997).
A General Model for the Origin of Allometric Scaling Laws in Biology.
Science
, 276
(5309)
, 122-126.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.276.5309.122
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1126/science.276.5309.122