Body Size and Metabolism of Liver Slices in vitro.

Abstract

Summary

The metabolic rates of liver slices from rats, rabbits, sheep, one horse and one cow have been measured in vitro. These metabolic rates per unit tissue weight for rat, rabbit and sheep liver decrease systematically and significantly with increasing body size. The metabolic rate per unit tissue weight is inversely proportional to the 4th root of body weight. Body size affects thus the metabolic rate in vitro in the same way as it affects the metabolic rate of the intact animal and the factors which determine the metabolic level in vivo seem still to be present in the surviving tissues cut out of the organism.