Understanding Metabolic Rate and Body Mass Relationship in Snakes
What is the relationship between metabolic rate and body mass in animals?
Knowing that the total metabolic rates of the two snakes are 40J/min for snake 1 and 80J/min for snake 2, what can we infer about their body masses?
a. Snake 1 is likely twice the mass of snake 2
b. Snake 2 is likely twice the mass of snake 1
c. Snake 2 is likely more than twice the mass of snake 1
d. Snake two is likely less than twice the mass of snake 1
e. Snake 1 is likely more than twice the mass of snake 2
Answer:
The metabolic rate of an animal is related to its body size. Smaller animals have a higher metabolic rate per body weight than larger animals. In this case, snake 2 has a higher metabolic rate than snake 1.
The metabolic rate of an animal is closely tied to its body mass. Smaller animals tend to have a higher metabolic rate relative to their body weight compared to larger animals. In this specific scenario with the two snakes, snake 2 has a metabolic rate that is twice that of snake 1.
Since snake 1 has a lower metabolic rate than snake 2, it is likely that snake 1 is lighter in body mass compared to snake 2. Therefore, the most probable statement regarding their body masses is that snake 2 is more than twice the mass of snake 1.
To delve deeper into the relationship between metabolic rate and body mass in animals, it is essential to understand the physiological mechanisms that drive these metabolic differences. Factors such as surface area to volume ratio, organ size, and overall energy requirements play crucial roles in determining an animal's metabolic rate in relation to its body mass.