Effect of Temperature on Metabolism and Lifespan in Several Homeothermic Animals

Abstract

The effects of various parameters on metabolism was analyzed in several homeothermic animals, including mammals, passerine birds, and humans. A Boltzmann equation was obtained for the basal metabolic rate, with the activation energy coinciding in magnitude with the energy of enzymatic cleavage of macroergic P–O bonds in adenosine triphosphate acid molecules. A dependence was obtained to relate the lifespan with the body temperature, body mass, basal metabolic rate, and Rubner’s constant.