1. Correlation of Animal and
Plant Respiratory Surface
Area With Metabolic Rate
Giovanni Biruetta, Vera Bunaidi, Steve Luong, and Carolina
Guia

2. Mix and Match

3. Introduction

5. What is our hypothesis?
 Surface area is equal to
¾ metabolic optimum
 Surface area at least ¾
metabolic optimum
 Surface area is less
than ¾ metabolic
optimum

6. Methods

7.  The weights of plants in different phylum were measured in
grams and the surface area in centimeters squared. Plant
weight was obtained using an electronic scale. Additionally,
surface area was calculated based on dimension on leafs and
the amount of leafs per steam. Therefore, area in centimeters
squared was taken from one leaf and was multiplied by the
amount of leaves on one plant for angiosperms. The same was
done for the patch of the Bryophyte and Pteridophyte.
 Area of a cylinder was used for the gymnosperm and was
multiplied by how many pine needles were in one bush. Surface
area was also measured for the following animals: rat, pigeon,
frog, and turtle. Lungs were frozen and the sample was taken
with an incision on the transverse plane of half of the lung. The
sample was then placed on a slide with a cover slip and was
observed under the light microscope at 10x magnification. The
amount of circular cavities was counted in each sample and the
areas were recorded using the formula of the area of a sphere.
 The field of view was calculated for the slide sample viewed
and this was then factored in with the estimated number of
incisions that would constitute half the lung. Finally, to get the
surface area of the whole respiratory organ, we multiplied the
surface area of a lung by two. To get the rate in which surface
area and mass scale we plotted the surface area of the plant
and animals and used a power trend line to get the general
formula of y=cxb.

8. Results
Animal Mass Versus Lung Surface Area
700
y = 0.6204x1.0233
R² = 0.7931
600 Turtle #2
Pigeon
500
Surface Area (cm^2)
400
Turtle #1
Animals
300
Power (Animals)
200 Rat #1
Rat #2
100 Frog #1
Frog #2
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Mass (g)

9. Plant Mass Versus Leaf Surface Area
10000
9000 y = 13.368x1.1788
R² = 0.97178
8000
7000
Surface Area (cm^2)
6000
5000
Plants
4000 Power (Plants)
3000
2000
1000
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Mass (g)

10. Correct!!!!

11. Wrong

12. Wrong

13. Bird

14. 
Rat

15. 
Turtle

16. Frog