Capillary density in mammals in relation to body size and oxygen consumption

Abstract

The high metabolic rate per gram of tissue in small mammals requires that oxygen be supplied to the tissues at a higher rate than in larger animals. The high rate of oxygen delivery in the small animal can be accomplished by a) higher capillary density and b) higher unloading tension for oxygen. Both these factors in the oxygen supply vary with body size in such a manner that delivery of oxygen to the tissues is facilitated in the small animal. This paper gives comparative data on capillary density in muscles from 10 mammals of various size. The smallest mammals have significantly higher capillary densities, but the trend is not evident throughout the size range examined. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the factors that relate capillary density and body size are overshadowed by variables such as activity, domestication, cold acclimation, etc., and, perhaps primarily, the size of the muscle fibers, which (although dependent on body size) varies considerably with the type of muscle and its use.