Final answer:
Metabolic rate refers to the total energy usage of an animal per unit of time, with endothermic animals usually having a higher metabolic rate than ectothermic animals. It is influenced by body size, age, gender, and muscle mass rather than being directly proportional to body size.
Step-by-step explanation:
The metabolic rate is the total amount of energy an animal uses in a unit of time. This rate is usually determined through measures like the basal metabolic rate (BMR) for endothermic animals at rest or the standard metabolic rate (SMR) for ectotherms. The BMR for human males typically ranges from 1600 to 1800 kcal/day, while for human females, it's usually between 1300 to 1500 kcal/day. An ectothermic animal, such as an alligator, has a much lower SMR, around 60 kcal/day. It's noteworthy that the metabolic rate is not directly proportional to body size; in fact, smaller endothermic animals have higher BMRs per body weight than larger animals due to a greater surface area-to-mass ratio, which leads to quicker heat loss and higher energy requirements for maintaining body temperature.
Body size, age, gender, and muscle mass are critical factors affecting BMR, while environmental temperature and activity levels can influence the overall metabolic rate. Consistently, endothermic animals, which regulate body temperature internally, have higher energy requirements than ectothermic animals, which rely on external temperature conditions to regulate body heat.