Investigating the Surface Area to Volume Ratio (S/V) in Bergmann's Rule

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 429-432
Author(s):  
Darrell Lynn Ray
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
Volume Ratio ◽  
Thermal Regulation ◽  
Bergmann’S Rule ◽  
Body Volume ◽  
Bergmann's Rule ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Total Body Volume ◽  
Lower Ratio

Students are almost universally interested in animals, and especially endotherms, including mammals and birds. According to Bergmann's rule, endotherms that live in colder climates at higher latitudes are larger than those living in warmer climates. As with most biological principles, hands-on investigation will provide a better understanding of why size is important in endotherm thermal regulation. One easily observable aspect of this principle is that larger organisms have a lower ratio of body surface area to total body volume. This affects how efficiently they can retain or radiate heat, which can be easily tested in the laboratory using commonly available materials. In this activity, simple models of endotherms of different sizes are used to assess the effects of body size on heat loss.

Upper Extremity Volume/Total Body Volume Ratio for Evaluation of Upper Extremity Lymphedema

2021 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasunori Hattori ◽  
Kota Hayashi ◽  
Sotetsu Sakamoto ◽  
Kazuteru Doi
Keyword(s):  
Upper Extremity ◽  
Volume Ratio ◽  
Body Volume ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Total Body Volume

Total Body Volume estimates from DXA whole body scans

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 168
Author(s):  
Joseph Wilson ◽  
Jennifer Sherman ◽  
John Shepherd
Keyword(s):  
Whole Body ◽  
Body Volume ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Total Body Volume ◽  
Volume Estimates

Buoyancy of Atlantic and Pacific Herring

1969 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2077-2091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivien M. Brawn
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Movement ◽  
Body Volume ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Total Body Volume ◽  
The Relationship

Pacific and Atlantic herring after adjustment to water 36 cm deep had sinking-factors between 1000 and 1008 and showed an inverse relationship between oil content and swimbladder volume up to 12% oil. At higher oil contents a swimbladder volume between 2.6 and 3.0% of total body volume was maintained. The mean volumes and densities of various components of the Pacific herring held in captivity were: swimbladder gas 4.1% of total volume,.0013 g/ml; oil 3.5%,.926 g/ml; scales 0.5%, 1.966 g/ml; skeleton 1.2%, 1.993 g/ml; rest of fish 90.6%, 1.057 g/ml. These components on the average exerted upward forces of 41.4 and 3.3 dynes/ml of fish due to gas and oil, and downward forces of 4.6, 11.2, and 32.1 dynes/ml due to scales, skeleton, and the rest of the fish respectively. Under natural conditions herring usually have high oil contents so the relationship observed here suggests they have low swimbladder volumes. This combined with a duct direct from the swimbladder to the exterior and the lack of gas secretion would give the herring freedom of vertical movement and a low change of sinking factor with depth.

Bergmann's rule is invalid

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 1035-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerius Geist
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Bergmann’S Rule ◽  
Bergmann's Rule ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Annual Productivity ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Growth Correlations

Bergmann's rule, claiming that in homeotherms body size increases inversely with temperature so that, intraspecifically, body size increases latitudinally, is not valid, nor is the explanation of this rule. In large mammals body size at first increases with latitude, but then reverses between 53 and 65° N, so that small body sizes occur at the lowest and highest latitudes. This is predicted by the hypothesis that body size follows the duration of the annual productivity pulse, so that body size is a function of availability of nutrients and energy during periods of growth. Correlations between body size and temperature are shown to be spurious. If reduction in relative surface area is indeed an adaptation to conserve heat, then mammals should increase in size from south to north at rates two orders of magnitude greater than they do. Bergmann's rule has no basis in fact or theory.

scholarly journals Trunk body volume as a proportion of total body volume in severely and very severely obese individuals (body mass index ≥ 35 kg/m 2 )

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Wang ◽  
Dympna Gallagher ◽  
John Thornton ◽  
Wen YU ◽  
Rich Weil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Volume ◽  
Severely Obese ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Total Body Volume

scholarly journals Total Body Volume and circumference measurements from Stereo Photographic Digital Topography

1999 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. S390
Author(s):  
R. P. Mikat ◽  
P. A. Eisenman ◽  
G. D. Ellis ◽  
S. C. Johnson ◽  
W. A. Sands ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Volume ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Total Body Volume

Tracking of the hormonally induced maturation of female eels by computed tomography

2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Müller ◽  
T. Molnár ◽  
Éva Szabó ◽  
R. Romvári ◽  
Cs. Hancz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Gonadosomatic Index ◽  
Treated Group ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Control Fish ◽  
Body Volume ◽  
Body Fat Content ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Total Body Volume ◽  
Histological Results

Female European eels were kept in artificial seawater for a trial period of 14 weeks. Three fish were injected intra-abdominally with carp pituitary suspension (twice a week) and human chorionic gonadotropin (every 2nd week), with the aim to induce artificial maturation. Three further fish were not treated (control). Fish were not fed during the trial. The treated fish were scanned by computed tomography (CT) every second week (the controls only at the start and at the end of the trial) to follow changes in body composition. Notable decreases were shown in total body pixel number (body volume), total body fat content, total fillet volume and fillet fat content during the experiment. Changes were more pronounced in the treated group than in the control. The abdominal volume strongly increased in the responding fish throughout the trial. The ovary volume increased measurably, while its fat content increased only until the 8th week, after which a decrease was measured. Tissue volumetric estimations of the ovary were also supported by histological results. A so-called volumetric gonadosomatic index (gonad volume/total body volume × 100) was developed for the quantitative characterisation of eel maturation.

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