#allometric

When an animal (or organ or tissue) changes shape in response to size changes (i.e., does not maintain geometric similarity), we say that it scales allometrically (allo = different, metric = measure). Allometric scaling is common in nature, both when comparing two animals of different sizes and when comparing the same animal at two different sizes (i.e., growth). The reasons, and there are many, underlying this rule will keep us occupied for much of this course.