Chapter 7 Outline

Why Animals Need Energy: The Second Law of Thermodynamics

Fundamentals of Animal Energetics

  • The forms of energy vary in their capacity for physiological work
  • Transformations of high-grade energy are always inefficient
  • Animals use energy to perform three major functions
  • BOX 7.1 Views on Animal Heat Production

Metabolic Rate: Meaning and Measurement

  • BOX 7.2 Units of Measure for Energy and Metabolic Rates
  • Direct calorimetry: The metabolic rate of an animal can be measured directly
  • Indirect calorimetry: Animal metabolic rates are usually measured indirectly
  • BOX 7.3 Direct Measurement versus Indirect Measurement
  • BOX 7.4 Respirometry

Factors That Affect Metabolic Rates

  • Ingestion of food causes metabolic rate to rise

Basal Metabolic Rate and Standard Metabolic Rate

Metabolic Scaling: The Relation between Metabolic Rate and Body Size

  • Resting metabolic rate is an allometric function of body weight in related species
  • The metabolic rate of active animals is often also an allometric function of body weight
  • The metabolism–size relation has important physiological and ecological implications
  • BOX 7.5 Scaling of Heart Function
  • The explanation for allometric metabolism–size relations remains unknown

Energetics of Food and Growth

Conclusion: Energy as the Common Currency of Life

Postscript: The Energy Cost of Mental Effort

Copyright 2016 Sinauer Associates
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