Levels Of Organization In The Biological Sciences

Author : Daniel S. Brooks,James DiFrisco,William C. Wimsatt
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 337 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2021-08-24
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780262045339

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Levels of Organization in the Biological Sciences by Daniel S. Brooks,James DiFrisco,William C. Wimsatt Pdf

Scientific philosophers examine the nature and significance of levels of organization, a core structural principle in the biological sciences. This volume examines the idea of levels of organization as a distinct object of investigation, considering its merits as a core organizational principle for the scientific image of the natural world. It approaches levels of organization--roughly, the idea that the natural world is segregated into part-whole relationships of increasing spatiotemporal scale and complexity--in terms of its roles in scientific reasoning as a dynamic, open-ended idea capable of performing multiple overlapping functions in distinct empirical settings. The contributors--scientific philosophers with longstanding ties to the biological sciences--discuss topics including the philosophical and scientific contexts for an inquiry into levels; whether the concept can actually deliver on its organizational promises; the role of levels in the development and evolution of complex systems; conditional independence and downward causation; and the extension of the concept into the sociocultural realm. Taken together, the contributions embrace the diverse usages of the term as aspects of the big picture of levels of organization. Contributors Jan Baedke, Robert W. Batterman, Daniel S. Brooks, James DiFrisco, Markus I. Eronen, Carl Gillett, Sara Green, James Griesemer, Alan C. Love, Angela Potochnik, Thomas Reydon, Ilya Tëmkin, Jon Umerez, William C. Wimsatt, James Woodward

Author : Daniel S. Brooks,James DiFrisco,William C. Wimsatt
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 337 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2021-08-24
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780262362252

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Levels of Organization in the Biological Sciences by Daniel S. Brooks,James DiFrisco,William C. Wimsatt Pdf

Scientific philosophers examine the nature and significance of levels of organization, a core structural principle in the biological sciences. This volume examines the idea of levels of organization as a distinct object of investigation, considering its merits as a core organizational principle for the scientific image of the natural world. It approaches levels of organization--roughly, the idea that the natural world is segregated into part-whole relationships of increasing spatiotemporal scale and complexity--in terms of its roles in scientific reasoning as a dynamic, open-ended idea capable of performing multiple overlapping functions in distinct empirical settings. The contributors--scientific philosophers with longstanding ties to the biological sciences--discuss topics including the philosophical and scientific contexts for an inquiry into levels; whether the concept can actually deliver on its organizational promises; the role of levels in the development and evolution of complex systems; conditional independence and downward causation; and the extension of the concept into the sociocultural realm. Taken together, the contributions embrace the diverse usages of the term as aspects of the big picture of levels of organization. Contributors Jan Baedke, Robert W. Batterman, Daniel S. Brooks, James DiFrisco, Markus I. Eronen, Carl Gillett, Sara Green, James Griesemer, Alan C. Love, Angela Potochnik, Thomas Reydon, Ilya Tëmkin, Jon Umerez, William C. Wimsatt, James Woodward

Author : Samantha Fowler,Rebecca Roush,James Wise
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 618 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2018-01-07
Category : Science
ISBN : 9888407457

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Concepts of Biology by Samantha Fowler,Rebecca Roush,James Wise Pdf

Concepts of Biology is designed for the single-semester introduction to biology course for non-science majors, which for many students is their only college-level science course. As such, this course represents an important opportunity for students to develop the necessary knowledge, tools, and skills to make informed decisions as they continue with their lives. Rather than being mired down with facts and vocabulary, the typical non-science major student needs information presented in a way that is easy to read and understand. Even more importantly, the content should be meaningful. Students do much better when they understand why biology is relevant to their everyday lives. For these reasons, Concepts of Biology is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand.We also strive to show the interconnectedness of topics within this extremely broad discipline. In order to meet the needs of today's instructors and students, we maintain the overall organization and coverage found in most syllabi for this course. A strength of Concepts of Biology is that instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Concepts of Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand--and apply--key concepts.

Author : Niles Eldredge,Telmo Pievani,Emanuele Serrelli,Ilya Temkin
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 394 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2016-09-23
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226426198

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Evolutionary Theory by Niles Eldredge,Telmo Pievani,Emanuele Serrelli,Ilya Temkin Pdf

The natural world is infinitely complex and hierarchically structured, with smaller units forming the components of progressively larger systems: molecules make up cells, cells comprise tissues and organs that are, in turn, parts of individual organisms, which are united into populations and integrated into yet more encompassing ecosystems. In the face of such awe-inspiring complexity, there is a need for a comprehensive, non-reductionist evolutionary theory. Having emerged at the crossroads of paleobiology, genetics, and developmental biology, the hierarchical approach to evolution provides a unifying perspective on the natural world and offers an operational framework for scientists seeking to understand the way complex biological systems work and evolve. Coedited by one of the founders of hierarchy theory and featuring a diverse and renowned group of contributors, this volume provides an integrated, comprehensive, cutting-edge introduction to the hierarchy theory of evolution. From sweeping historical reviews to philosophical pieces, theoretical essays, and strictly empirical chapters, it reveals hierarchy theory as a vibrant field of scientific enterprise that holds promise for unification across the life sciences and offers new venues of empirical and theoretical research. Stretching from molecules to the biosphere, hierarchy theory aims to provide an all-encompassing understanding of evolution and—with this first collection devoted entirely to the concept—will help make transparent the fundamental patterns that propel living systems.

Author : Lisa Bartee,Walter Shiner,Catherine Creech
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2017
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1636350410

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Principles of Biology by Lisa Bartee,Walter Shiner,Catherine Creech Pdf

The Principles of Biology sequence (BI 211, 212 and 213) introduces biology as a scientific discipline for students planning to major in biology and other science disciplines. Laboratories and classroom activities introduce techniques used to study biological processes and provide opportunities for students to develop their ability to conduct research.

Author : J. Gordon Betts,Peter DeSaix,Jody E. Johnson,Oksana Korol,Dean H. Kruse,Brandon Poe,James A. Wise,Mark Womble,Kelly A. Young
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2013-04-25
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1947172808

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Anatomy and Physiology by J. Gordon Betts,Peter DeSaix,Jody E. Johnson,Oksana Korol,Dean H. Kruse,Brandon Poe,James A. Wise,Mark Womble,Kelly A. Young Pdf

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Life Sciences,Committee on High-School Biology Education
Publisher : National Academies
Page : 361 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 1989-02-01
Category : Education
ISBN : 9780309040280

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High-School Biology Today and Tomorrow by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Life Sciences,Committee on High-School Biology Education Pdf

Biology is where many of science's most exciting and relevant advances are taking place. Yet, many students leave school without having learned basic biology principles, and few are excited enough to continue in the sciences. Why is biology education failing? How can reform be accomplished? This book presents information and expert views from curriculum developers, teachers, and others, offering suggestions about major issues in biology education: what should we teach in biology and how should it be taught? How can we measure results? How should teachers be educated and certified? What obstacles are blocking reform?

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology,Board on Life Sciences,Board on Physics and Astronomy,Committee on Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 123 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2010-02-25
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309151566

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Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology,Board on Life Sciences,Board on Physics and Astronomy,Committee on Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences Pdf

Traditionally, the natural sciences have been divided into two branches: the biological sciences and the physical sciences. Today, an increasing number of scientists are addressing problems lying at the intersection of the two. These problems are most often biological in nature, but examining them through the lens of the physical sciences can yield exciting results and opportunities. For example, one area producing effective cross-discipline research opportunities centers on the dynamics of systems. Equilibrium, multistability, and stochastic behavior-concepts familiar to physicists and chemists-are now being used to tackle issues associated with living systems such as adaptation, feedback, and emergent behavior. Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences discusses how some of the most important scientific and societal challenges can be addressed, at least in part, by collaborative research that lies at the intersection of traditional disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and physics. This book describes how some of the mysteries of the biological world are being addressed using tools and techniques developed in the physical sciences, and identifies five areas of potentially transformative research. Work in these areas would have significant impact in both research and society at large by expanding our understanding of the physical world and by revealing new opportunities for advancing public health, technology, and stewardship of the environment. This book recommends several ways to accelerate such cross-discipline research. Many of these recommendations are directed toward those administering the faculties and resources of our great research institutions-and the stewards of our research funders, making this book an excellent resource for academic and research institutions, scientists, universities, and federal and private funding agencies.

Author : Ted R Schultz,Richard Gawne,Peter N Peregrine
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 339 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2022-02-15
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780262367561

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The Convergent Evolution of Agriculture in Humans and Insects by Ted R Schultz,Richard Gawne,Peter N Peregrine Pdf

Contributors explore common elements in the evolutionary histories of both human and insect agriculture resulting from convergent evolution. During the past 12,000 years, agriculture originated in humans as many as twenty-three times, and during the past 65 million years, agriculture also originated in nonhuman animals at least twenty times and in insects at least fifteen times. It is much more likely that these independent origins represent similar solutions to the challenge of growing food than that they are due purely to chance. This volume seeks to identify common elements in the evolutionary histories of both human and insect agriculture that are the results of convergent evolution. The goal is to create a new, synthetic field that characterizes, quantifies, and empirically documents the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms that drive both human and nonhuman agriculture. The contributors report on the results of quantitative analyses comparing human and nonhuman agriculture; discuss evolutionary conflicts of interest between and among farmers and cultivars and how they interfere with efficiencies of agricultural symbiosis; describe in detail agriculture in termites, ambrosia beetles, and ants; and consider patterns of evolutionary convergence in different aspects of agriculture, comparing fungal parasites of ant agriculture with fungal parasites of human agriculture, analyzing the effects of agriculture on human anatomy, and tracing the similarities and differences between the evolution of agriculture in humans and in a single, relatively well-studied insect group, fungus-farming ants.

Author : Norman Herr
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 614 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2008-08-11
Category : Education
ISBN : 9780787972981

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The Sourcebook for Teaching Science, Grades 6-12 by Norman Herr Pdf

The Sourcebook for Teaching Science is a unique, comprehensive resource designed to give middle and high school science teachers a wealth of information that will enhance any science curriculum. Filled with innovative tools, dynamic activities, and practical lesson plans that are grounded in theory, research, and national standards, the book offers both new and experienced science teachers powerful strategies and original ideas that will enhance the teaching of physics, chemistry, biology, and the earth and space sciences.

Author : Bernhard Strauss,Marta Bertolaso,Ingemar Ernberg,Mina J. Bissell
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 433 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2021-04-27
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780262045216

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Rethinking Cancer by Bernhard Strauss,Marta Bertolaso,Ingemar Ernberg,Mina J. Bissell Pdf

Leading scientists argue for a new paradigm for cancer research, proposing a complex systems view of cancer supported by empirical evidence. Current consensus in cancer research explains cancer as a disease caused by specific mutations in certain genes. After dramatic advances in genome sequencing, never before have we known so much about the individual cancer cell--and yet never before has it been so unclear what to do with this knowledge. In this volume, leading researchers argue for a new theory framework for understanding and treating cancer. The contributors propose a complex systems view of cancer, presenting conceptual building blocks for a new research paradigm supported by empirical evidence. The contributors first discuss the new research framework in terms of theoretical foundations and then take up the relevance of a systems approach, reviewing such topics as nonlinearity, recurrence after treatment, the cellular attractor concept, network theory, and non-coding DNA--the "dark matter" of our genome. They address the temporality of cancer progression, drawing on evolutionary theory and clinical experience. Finally, they cover the dominant role of the tissue microenvironment in cancer, analyzing topics including altered metabolic pathways, the disease-defining influence on metastasis, and the interconnectedness of different environmental niches across levels of organization.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Life Sciences,Committee on a New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuring the United States Leads the Coming Biology Revolution
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 113 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2009-11-20
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309147866

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A New Biology for the 21st Century by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Life Sciences,Committee on a New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuring the United States Leads the Coming Biology Revolution Pdf

Now more than ever, biology has the potential to contribute practical solutions to many of the major challenges confronting the United States and the world. A New Biology for the 21st Century recommends that a "New Biology" approach-one that depends on greater integration within biology, and closer collaboration with physical, computational, and earth scientists, mathematicians and engineers-be used to find solutions to four key societal needs: sustainable food production, ecosystem restoration, optimized biofuel production, and improvement in human health. The approach calls for a coordinated effort to leverage resources across the federal, private, and academic sectors to help meet challenges and improve the return on life science research in general.

Author : Alvaro Moreno,Matteo Mossio
Publisher : Springer
Page : 221 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2015-05-04
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9789401798372

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Biological Autonomy by Alvaro Moreno,Matteo Mossio Pdf

Since Darwin, Biology has been framed on the idea of evolution by natural selection, which has profoundly influenced the scientific and philosophical comprehension of biological phenomena and of our place in Nature. This book argues that contemporary biology should progress towards and revolve around an even more fundamental idea, that of autonomy. Biological autonomy describes living organisms as organised systems, which are able to self-produce and self-maintain as integrated entities, to establish their own goals and norms, and to promote the conditions of their existence through their interactions with the environment. Topics covered in this book include organisation and biological emergence, organisms, agency, levels of autonomy, cognition, and a look at the historical dimension of autonomy. The current development of scientific investigations on autonomous organisation calls for a theoretical and philosophical analysis. This can contribute to the elaboration of an original understanding of life - including human life - on Earth, opening new perspectives and enabling fecund interactions with other existing theories and approaches. This book takes up the challenge.

Author : Julianne Zedalis,John Eggebrecht
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 1923 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2017-10-16
Category : Biology
ISBN : 1947172409

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Biology for AP ® Courses by Julianne Zedalis,John Eggebrecht Pdf

Biology for AP® courses covers the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester Advanced Placement® biology course. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology for AP® Courses was designed to meet and exceed the requirements of the College Board’s AP® Biology framework while allowing significant flexibility for instructors. Each section of the book includes an introduction based on the AP® curriculum and includes rich features that engage students in scientific practice and AP® test preparation; it also highlights careers and research opportunities in biological sciences.

Author : Steward T.A. Pickett,P. S. White
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 472 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2013-10-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780080504957

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The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and Patch Dynamics by Steward T.A. Pickett,P. S. White Pdf

Ecologists are aware of the importance of natural dynamics in ecosystems. Historically, the focus has been on the development in succession of equilibrium communities, which has generated an understanding of the composition and functioning of ecosystems. Recently, many have focused on the processes of disturbances and the evolutionary significance of such events. This shifted emphasis has inspired studies in diverse systems. The phrase "patch dynamics" (Thompson, 1978) describes their common focus. The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and Patch Dynamics brings together the findings and ideas of those studying varied systems, presenting a synthesis of diverse individual contributions.