Scaling:WhyisAnimalSizesoImportant?

Thisbookisabouttheimportanceofanimalsize.Wetendtothinkofanimalfunctioninchemicaltermsandtalkofwater,salts,proteins,enzymes,oxygen,energy,andsoon.Weshouldnotforget,however,thatphysicallawsareequallyimportant,fortheydetermineratesofdiffusionandheattransfer,transferofforceandmomentum,thestrengthofstructures,thedynamicsoflocomotion,andotheraspectsofthefunctioningofanimalbodies.Physicallawsprovidepossibilitiesandopportunitiesforanorganism,yettheyalsoimposeconstraints,settinglimitstowhatisphysicallypossible.Thisbookaimstogiveanunderstandingoftheserulesbecauseoftheirprofoundimplicationswhenwedealwithanimalsofwidelydifferentsizeandscale.Thereaderwillfindthatthebookraisesmanyquestions.Remarkableandpuzzlinginformationmakesitreadalittlelikeadetectivestory,butthelastchapter,insteadofgivingthefinalsolution,neitheranswersallquestionsnorprovidesonegreatunifyingprinciple.