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.
Inhoudsopgave
Reductionism and Antireductionism (T. Nagel).
Reductionism in Physical Sciences (R. Williams).
Macromolecular Structure and Self-Assembly (R. Henderson).
Reduction and Integration in Understanding the Heart (D.
Noble).
Muscle Contraction (K. Holmes).
Reductionism and Explanation in Cell Biology (P. Nurse).
Biological Computation (S. Brenner).
Reductionism in Learning and Memory (W. Quinn).
Hearing (J. Ashmore).
The Nested Networks of Brains and Minds (H. Barlow).
Genes, Environment and the Development of Behaviour (P.
Bateson).
What is Wrong with Reductionist Explanations of Behaviour?
(S. Rose).
Levels of Organization in Ecological Systems (R. May).
The Units of Selection (J. Smith).
Indexes.
Over de auteur
The Novartis Foundation is an international scientific and educational charity which promotes the study and general knowledge of science and in particular encourages international co-operation in scientific research.