Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling: Physiological, Performance, Growth, Longevity and Ecological RamificationsSeveral books have been published on scaling in biology and its ramifications in the animal kingdom. However, none has specifically examined the multifaceted effects of how changes in human height create disproportionately larger changes in weight, surface area, strength and other physiological parameters. Yet, the impact of these non-linear effects on individual humans as well as our world's environment is enormous. Since increasing human body size has widespread ramifications, this book presents findings on the human species and its ecological niche. In biology, an ecological niche' refers to the role played by a species in its community and how the species interacts with its environment. Thus, a few chapters provide an ecological overview of how increasing human body size relates to human evolution, fitness, health, survival and the environment. This book provides a unique purview of the laws of scaling on human performance, health, longevity and the environment. Numerous examples from various research disciplines are used to illustrate the impact of increasing body size on many aspects of human enterprises, including work output, athletics and intellectual performance. |
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Book Review by Professor Marson: How Big Should We Be? A Herculean task accomplished.
Professor Marson recommends the book to every academic library. Students who are studying natural and social sciences will find the book valuable. Also professional policy makers should read this volume.
Book Review by researcher, Jonathan C.K. Wells, University College London Institute of Child Health
The book challenges conventional biomedical wisdom that body size is a marker of health. He strongly recommends Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling to academics "across a wide range of disciplines" and suggests that they will find themselves challenging long-held views on growth and health.
Contents
| 1 | |
| 17 | |
Advantages of Taller Human Height | 33 |
Advantages of Shorter Human Height | 47 |
Body Height and its Relation to Chronic Disease and Longevity | 63 |
BMI and Weight Their Relation to Diabetes CVD Cancer and Allcause Mortality | 113 |
The Obesity Epidemic Birthweight Rapid Growth and Superior Nutrition | 147 |
Longlived Mutant Gene Knockout and Transgenic Mice | 191 |
Overview of Research on Giant Transgenic Mice with Emphasis on the Brain and Aging | 235 |
Speculations on the Evolutionary Ecology of Homo sapiens with Special Reference to Body Size Allometry and Survivorship | 261 |
Birthweight Height Brain Size and Intellectual Ability | 301 |
Impact of Body Size on Resources Pollution the Environment and Economics | 319 |
Final Remarks on Human Size Scaling and Ecological Implications | 329 |
Symbols Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in Text | 333 |
Technical Review of Molecular and Physiological Aspects Relevant to Size Free Radicals and Aging | 341 |
| 359 | |
The Evolutionary Ecology of Body Size with Special Reference to Allometry and Survivorship | 213 |
Common terms and phrases
acceleration addition adult all-cause mortality allometric American Journal animals antioxidant associated average Bartke Biology birth birthweight body mass index body weight brain breast cancer caloric restriction catch-up growth cell Chapter childhood cohort compared coronary heart disease diet dietary dwarf mice energy evaluated evolution extended longevity females findings free radical function gene genetic Gerontology Grandmother hypothesis greater growth hormone growth rates heart disease height and weight higher Hobbits human hypertension impact increasing body increasing height insulin resistance intake intelligence kg/m larger levels lifespan low BW lower males mammals maturation menarche metabolic rate mitochondrial normal nutrition obesity overweight oxidative physiological population primates protein reduced relatively reproduction researchers risk factors Rollo Rollo CD Samaras Samaras TT Sciences shorter smaller species substantially surface area taller person transgenic type 2 diabetes women
Bibliographic information
| Title | Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling: Physiological, Performance, Growth, Longevity and Ecological Ramifications Nova biomedical |
| Author | Thomas T. Samaras |
| Editors | Thomas T. Samaras, Andrzej Bartke, Christopher David Rollo |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Nova Publishers, 2007 |
| ISBN | 1600214088, 9781600214080 |
| Length | 381 pages |
| Subjects | › Medical / Internal Medicine Self-Help / Aging |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |