As an animal increases in size
A) body length increases in direct proportion to body volume.
B) body length increases more rapidly than body volume.
C) body length increases more slowly than body volume.
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As an animal increases in size, body length increases more slowly than body volume. This is due to the fact that an animal's volume increases as a cube of its dimensions, while its surface area (which determines its ability to exchange materials with its surroundings) only increases as a square of its dimensions. This means that larger animals have a proportionally smaller surface area to exchange materials with their surroundings, which can have physiological implications.

As an Animal Increases in Size