1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9911019993103321

Titolo

The limits of reductionism in biology

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Chichester ; ; New York, : J. Wiley, 1998

ISBN

9786612348075

9781282348073

1282348078

9780470515488

0470515481

9780470515495

047051549X

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (242 p.)

Collana

Novartis Foundation symposium ; ; 213

Altri autori (Persone)

BockGregory

GoodeJamie

Disciplina

570.1

Soggetti

Biology - Philosophy

Reductionism

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Papers from the Symposium on the Limits of Reductionism in Biology, held at the Novartis Foundation, London, May 13-15, 1997.

Editors, Gregory R. Bock (organizer) and Jamie A. Goode.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Nota di contenuto

THE LIMITS OF REDUCTIONISM IN BIOLOGY; Contents; Introduction; Reductionism and antireductionism; Reductionism in physical sciences; Macromolecular structure and self-assembly; Reduction and integration in understanding the heart; General discussion : Is all science reductionist?; Muscle contraction; Reductionism and explanation in cell biology; Biological computation; Reductionism in learning and memory; Hearing; The nested networks of brains and minds; Genes, environment and the development of behaviour; What is wrong with reductionist explanations of behaviour?

Levels of organization in ecological systemsThe units of selection; Final discussion : What are the limits of reductionism?; Index of contributors; Subject index

Sommario/riassunto

A comprehensive volume examining the fundamental questions raised



by reductionists' theory about levels of explanation necessary to understand biological systems. The book evaluates the enormously powerful techniques of molecular biology, and analyzes precisely how molecular information has improved our understanding of fundamental biological processes.