Conclusions
Metabolic theory of ecology, being a significant part of theoretical
biology, considers the transformation of energy by organisms. In
accordance with the WBE-theory, E should be within the range of
-0.6 – -0.7 eV which is often not supported by the experimental data.
We have found that in homeothermic animals, such as rats, under
pharmacological torpor the standard methods for determining E are
effective only when changes in the body temperature occur not less than
within a day. When changes occur within hours, this case is typical of
animals under anesthesia, it is necessary to take into account a time
lag (Δt ) of body temperature behind metabolic rate. Since in
homeothermic animals, the changes in the body temperature result from
changes in heat production, the lag of temperature behind heat
production is associated with a limited rate of the body heat
conductivity and heat dissipation. Therefore, it takes a time
(Δt ) to achieve a balance between the metabolic rate and the body
temperature.
We suggest that in poikilotherms, the changes in metabolic rate may lag
behind the changes in body temperature for a period (-) Δt . It
may happen when the ambient temperature changes sufficiently rapidly,
within a few hours. In this case, (-) Δt should also be taken
into account when calculating E . The reasons for the temporary
mismatch of changes in temperature and metabolism in poikilotherms can
be both physiological: the time required for changes in heart rate,
respiration, vascular conductivity; and the well-known biochemical ones:
temperature control of the lipid composition and fluidity of the
membranes, which are regulated by the appropriate genes.