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Biological Sciences
Biology
1932
Intermediate

Allometric Scaling Law

Y=Y0MbY = Y_0 M^b

Biological traits scale as power laws of body mass across species.

By Max Kleiber, Various

Biological Sciences
Allometric Scaling Law
1932 · Max Kleiber
Why it matters: Revealed universal biological scaling principles across life.

Discoverers: Max Kleiber, Various (1932)

What does it mean?

Biological traits scale as power laws of body mass across species.

Why should I care?

Revealed universal biological scaling principles across life.

Variables & Units

SymbolNameUnitMeaning
YYTrait—Biological variable
MMMass—Body mass
bbExponent—Scaling exponent
Y0Y₀Constant—Normalization constant

Worked Example

Metabolic rate ∝ M^0.75: elephant vs mouse metabolism.

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Sources & further reading

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Allometric Scaling Law

Y=Y0MbY = Y_0 M^b

Real-world impact

Modern electronics

Electrostatic design at nanometer scales.

Photo: Unsplash — microchip

Biological traits scale as power laws of body mass across species.

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