The Mechanism Of Life

The Mechanism Of Life PDF Author: Stephane Leduc
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781835914144
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"The Mechanism of Life" is a groundbreaking work by the French physiologist and biochemist Stéphane Leduc, originally published in 1911 under the title "La Biologie Synthétique." In this influential book, Leduc explores the idea of a mechanistic approach to understanding the fundamental processes of life, challenging traditional biological perspectives of his time. Leduc was a proponent of the concept that living organisms could be understood through principles of physics and chemistry, akin to a machine. He proposed that life processes could be explained through the physical and chemical interactions of living matter. Leduc's work was particularly notable for its attempt to synthesize life-like phenomena in the laboratory, using chemical substances to create structures resembling cells and even imitating some aspects of cellular functions. One of the key concepts in "The Mechanism of Life" is the idea of osmotic phenomena, wherein Leduc explored the role of osmosis in cellular processes. He conducted experiments involving the formation of artificial cells, referred to as "osmotic growths," by encapsulating various substances in semi-permeable membranes. Leduc's work was met with both acclaim and criticism. While some praised his innovative thinking and experimental techniques, others were skeptical of his mechanistic approach to understanding the complexity of living organisms. Over time, some of Leduc's ideas fell out of favor as the field of biology evolved, embracing more nuanced and holistic approaches to studying life. Despite its eventual historical context, "The Mechanism of Life" remains an important work in the history of biology, as it reflects an early attempt to bridge the gap between physics, chemistry, and the intricacies of living organisms. The book provides valuable insights into the scientific thinking of its time and the evolving understanding of life processes.

The Mechanism Of Life

The Mechanism Of Life PDF Author: Stephane Leduc
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781835914144
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
"The Mechanism of Life" is a groundbreaking work by the French physiologist and biochemist Stéphane Leduc, originally published in 1911 under the title "La Biologie Synthétique." In this influential book, Leduc explores the idea of a mechanistic approach to understanding the fundamental processes of life, challenging traditional biological perspectives of his time. Leduc was a proponent of the concept that living organisms could be understood through principles of physics and chemistry, akin to a machine. He proposed that life processes could be explained through the physical and chemical interactions of living matter. Leduc's work was particularly notable for its attempt to synthesize life-like phenomena in the laboratory, using chemical substances to create structures resembling cells and even imitating some aspects of cellular functions. One of the key concepts in "The Mechanism of Life" is the idea of osmotic phenomena, wherein Leduc explored the role of osmosis in cellular processes. He conducted experiments involving the formation of artificial cells, referred to as "osmotic growths," by encapsulating various substances in semi-permeable membranes. Leduc's work was met with both acclaim and criticism. While some praised his innovative thinking and experimental techniques, others were skeptical of his mechanistic approach to understanding the complexity of living organisms. Over time, some of Leduc's ideas fell out of favor as the field of biology evolved, embracing more nuanced and holistic approaches to studying life. Despite its eventual historical context, "The Mechanism of Life" remains an important work in the history of biology, as it reflects an early attempt to bridge the gap between physics, chemistry, and the intricacies of living organisms. The book provides valuable insights into the scientific thinking of its time and the evolving understanding of life processes.

Beyond Mechanism

Beyond Mechanism PDF Author: Brian G. Henning
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 0739174371
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 488

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Book Description
It has been said that new discoveries and developments in the human, social, and natural sciences hang “in the air” (Bowler, 1983; 2008) prior to their consummation. While neo-Darwinist biology has been powerfully served by its mechanistic metaphysic and a reductionist methodology in which living organisms are considered machines, many of the chapters in this volume place this paradigm into question. Pairing scientists and philosophers together, this volume explores what might be termed “the New Frontiers” of biology, namely contemporary areas of research that appear to call an updating, a supplementation, or a relaxation of some of the main tenets of the Modern Synthesis. Such areas of investigation include: Emergence Theory, Systems Biology, Biosemiotics, Homeostasis, Symbiogenesis, Niche Construction, the Theory of Organic Selection (also known as “the Baldwin Effect”), Self-Organization and Teleodynamics, as well as Epigenetics. Most of the chapters in this book offer critical reflections on the neo-Darwinist outlook and work to promote a novel synthesis that is open to a greater degree of inclusivity as well as to a more holistic orientation in the biological sciences.

Mechanism and Causality in Biology and Economics

Mechanism and Causality in Biology and Economics PDF Author: Hsiang-Ke Chao
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400724543
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
This volume addresses fundamental issues in the philosophy of science in the context of two most intriguing fields: biology and economics. Written by authorities and experts in the philosophy of biology and economics, Mechanism and Causality in Biology and Economics provides a structured study of the concepts of mechanism and causality in these disciplines and draws careful juxtapositions between philosophical apparatus and scientific practice. By exploring the issues that are most salient to the contemporary philosophies of biology and economics and by presenting comparative analyses, the book serves as a platform not only for gaining mutual understanding between scientists and philosophers of the life sciences and those of the social sciences, but also for sharing interdisciplinary research that combines both philosophical concepts in both fields. The book begins by defining the concepts of mechanism and causality in biology and economics, respectively. The second and third parts investigate philosophical perspectives of various causal and mechanistic issues in scientific practice in the two fields. These two sections include chapters on causal issues in the theory of evolution; experiments and scientific discovery; representation of causal relations and mechanism by models in economics. The concluding section presents interdisciplinary studies of various topics concerning extrapolation of life sciences and social sciences, including chapters on the philosophical investigation of conjoining biological and economic analyses with, respectively, demography, medicine and sociology.

In Search of Mechanisms

In Search of Mechanisms PDF Author: Carl F. Craver
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022603982X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description
Neuroscientists investigate the mechanisms of spatial memory. Molecular biologists study the mechanisms of protein synthesis and the myriad mechanisms of gene regulation. Ecologists study nutrient cycling mechanisms and their devastating imbalances in estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay. In fact, much of biology and its history involves biologists constructing, evaluating, and revising their understanding of mechanisms. With In Search of Mechanisms, Carl F. Craver and Lindley Darden offer both a descriptive and an instructional account of how biologists discover mechanisms. Drawing on examples from across the life sciences and through the centuries, Craver and Darden compile an impressive toolbox of strategies that biologists have used and will use again to reveal the mechanisms that produce, underlie, or maintain the phenomena characteristic of living things. They discuss the questions that figure in the search for mechanisms, characterizing the experimental, observational, and conceptual considerations used to answer them, all the while providing examples from the history of biology to highlight the kinds of evidence and reasoning strategies employed to assess mechanisms. At a deeper level, Craver and Darden pose a systematic view of what biology is, of how biology makes progress, of how biological discoveries are and might be made, and of why knowledge of biological mechanisms is important for the future of the human species.

The Search for Life's Origins

The Search for Life's Origins PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309042461
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
The field of planetary biology and chemical evolution draws together experts in astronomy, paleobiology, biochemistry, and space science who work together to understand the evolution of living systems. This field has made exciting discoveries that shed light on how organic compounds came together to form self-replicating molecules-the origin of life. This volume updates that progress and offers recommendations on research programs-including an ambitious effort centered on Mars-to advance the field over the next 10 to 15 years. The book presents a wide range of data and research results on these and other issues: The biogenic elements and their interaction in the interstellar clouds and in solar nebulae. Early planetary environments and the conditions that lead to the origin of life. The evolution of cellular and multicellular life. The search for life outside the solar system. This volume will become required reading for anyone involved in the search for life's beginnings-including exobiologists, geoscientists, planetary scientists, and U.S. space and science policymakers.

The Vital Question

The Vital Question PDF Author: Nick Lane
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781781250372
Category : Cells
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
A game-changing book on the origins of life, called the most important scientific discovery 'since the Copernican revolution' in The Observer.

The Mechanism of Life

The Mechanism of Life PDF Author: Stéphane Leduc
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
"The Mechanism of Life" by Stéphane Leduc (translated by William Deane Butcher). Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

Molecular Biology of the Cell

Molecular Biology of the Cell PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780815332183
Category : Cells
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Evaluating Evidence of Mechanisms in Medicine

Evaluating Evidence of Mechanisms in Medicine PDF Author: Veli-Pekka Parkkinen
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319946102
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 131

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Book Description
This book is open access under a CC BY license. This book is the first to develop explicit methods for evaluating evidence of mechanisms in the field of medicine. It explains why it can be important to make this evidence explicit, and describes how to take such evidence into account in the evidence appraisal process. In addition, it develops procedures for seeking evidence of mechanisms, for evaluating evidence of mechanisms, and for combining this evaluation with evidence of association in order to yield an overall assessment of effectiveness. Evidence-based medicine seeks to achieve improved health outcomes by making evidence explicit and by developing explicit methods for evaluating it. To date, evidence-based medicine has largely focused on evidence of association produced by clinical studies. As such, it has tended to overlook evidence of pathophysiological mechanisms and evidence of the mechanisms of action of interventions. The book offers a useful guide for all those whose work involves evaluating evidence in the health sciences, including those who need to determine the effectiveness of health interventions and those who need to ascertain the effects of environmental exposures.

Mechanism

Mechanism PDF Author: Domenico Bertoloni Meli
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
ISBN: 0822986523
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Book Description
The mechanical philosophy first emerged as a leading player on the intellectual scene in the early modern period—seeking to explain all natural phenomena through the physics of matter and motion—and the term mechanism was coined. Over time, natural phenomena came to be understood through machine analogies and explanations and the very word mechanism, a suggestive and ambiguous expression, took on a host of different meanings. Emphasizing the important role of key ancient and early modern protagonists, from Galen to Robert Boyle, this book offers a historical investigation of the term mechanism from the late Renaissance to the end of the seventeenth century, at a time when it was used rather frequently in complex debates about the nature of the notion of the soul. In this rich and detailed study, Domenico Bertoloni Melifocuses on strategies for discussing the notion of mechanism in historically sensitive ways; the relation between mechanism, visual representation, and anatomy; the usage and meaning of the term in early modern times; and Marcello Malpighi and the problems of fecundation and generation, among the most challenging topics to investigate from a mechanistic standpoint.