Günther B, Morgado E
Acta Physiol Pharmacol Latinoam. 1985;35(3):349-60.
The meaning of time in the physical sciences (absolute vs. relational) is compared with the "intrinsic" times in the biological sciences. Since all organisms can be considered as "mixed regimes", the corresponding intrinsic times will be different in a mechanical similarity (organism and environment), in a biological similarity (morphometry and physiometry inside the organism), and in a transport similarity (diffusion processes at the cellular level). These three similarity criteria are based on specific postulates, and it is possible -through dimensional analysis- to obtain quantitative predictions of the numerical value for the reduced exponents of the body weight ratio (w), which can then be compared with the empirically found allometric exponent (b) of Huxley's power equation, which is expressed as a function of body weight (W). The correlation between the theoretically predicted values and the empirical findings of numerous chronological functions pertaining to living beings is satisfactory.