A Critical Overview of Biological Functions

A Critical Overview of Biological Functions PDF Author: Justin Garson
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319320203
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 113

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Book Description
This book is a critical survey of and guidebook to the literature on biological functions. It ties in with current debates and developments, and at the same time, it looks back on the state of discourse in naturalized teleology prior to the 1970s. It also presents three significant new proposals. First, it describes the generalized selected effects theory, which is one version of the selected effects theory, maintaining that the function of a trait consists in the activity that led to its differential persistence or reproduction in a population, and not merely its differential reproduction. Secondly, it advances “within-discipline pluralism” (as opposed to between-discipline pluralism) a new form of function pluralism, which emphasizes the coexistence of function concepts within diverse biological sub-disciplines. Lastly, it provides a critical assessment of recent alternatives to the selected effects theory of function, namely, the weak etiological theory and the systems-theoretic theory. The book argues that, to the extent that functions purport to offer causal explanations for the existence of a trait, there are no viable alternatives to the selected effects view. The debate about biological functions is still as relevant and important to biology and philosophy as it ever was. Recent controversies surrounding the ENCODE Project Consortium in genetics, the nature of psychiatric classification, and the value of ecological restoration, all point to the continuing relevance to biology of philosophical discussion about the nature of functions. In philosophy, ongoing debates about the nature of biological information, intentionality, health and disease, mechanism, and even biological trait classification, are closely related to debates about biological functions.

A Critical Overview of Biological Functions

A Critical Overview of Biological Functions PDF Author: Justin Garson
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319320203
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 113

Get Book

Book Description
This book is a critical survey of and guidebook to the literature on biological functions. It ties in with current debates and developments, and at the same time, it looks back on the state of discourse in naturalized teleology prior to the 1970s. It also presents three significant new proposals. First, it describes the generalized selected effects theory, which is one version of the selected effects theory, maintaining that the function of a trait consists in the activity that led to its differential persistence or reproduction in a population, and not merely its differential reproduction. Secondly, it advances “within-discipline pluralism” (as opposed to between-discipline pluralism) a new form of function pluralism, which emphasizes the coexistence of function concepts within diverse biological sub-disciplines. Lastly, it provides a critical assessment of recent alternatives to the selected effects theory of function, namely, the weak etiological theory and the systems-theoretic theory. The book argues that, to the extent that functions purport to offer causal explanations for the existence of a trait, there are no viable alternatives to the selected effects view. The debate about biological functions is still as relevant and important to biology and philosophy as it ever was. Recent controversies surrounding the ENCODE Project Consortium in genetics, the nature of psychiatric classification, and the value of ecological restoration, all point to the continuing relevance to biology of philosophical discussion about the nature of functions. In philosophy, ongoing debates about the nature of biological information, intentionality, health and disease, mechanism, and even biological trait classification, are closely related to debates about biological functions.

What Biological Functions are and why They Matter

What Biological Functions are and why They Matter PDF Author: Justin Garson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781108621724
Category : NATURE
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


What Biological Functions Are and Why They Matter

What Biological Functions Are and Why They Matter PDF Author: Justin Garson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108694470
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The biological functions debate is a perennial topic in the philosophy of science. In the first full-length account of the nature and importance of biological functions for many years, Justin Garson presents an innovative new theory, the 'generalized selected effects theory of function', which seamlessly integrates evolutionary and developmental perspectives on biological functions. He develops the implications of the theory for contemporary debates in the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of medicine and psychiatry, the philosophy of biology, and biology itself, addressing issues ranging from the nature of mental representation to our understanding of the function of the human genome. Clear, jargon-free, and engagingly written, with accessible examples and explanatory diagrams to illustrate the discussion, his book will be highly valuable for readers across philosophical and scientific disciplines.

The Biological Mind

The Biological Mind PDF Author: Justin Garson
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9780367466329
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
Updated to take account of new developments in the field, The Biological Mind 2nd Edition uses the philosophy of biology to introduce and assess the nature of the mind. An indispensable introduction for those in philosophy of mind and philosophy of psychology.

Imaging Cellular and Molecular Biological Functions

Imaging Cellular and Molecular Biological Functions PDF Author: Spencer L. Shorte
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9783540713302
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 450

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Book Description
This book offers a comprehensive selection of essays by leading experts, which covers all aspects of modern imaging, from its application and up-scaling to its development. The chapter content ranges from the basics to the most complex overview of method and protocols. There is ample practical and detailed "how-to" content on important, but rarely addressed topics. This first edition features all-colour-plate chapters, licensed software and a unique, continuously updated website forum.

Imaging Cellular and Molecular Biological Functions

Imaging Cellular and Molecular Biological Functions PDF Author: Spencer L. Shorte
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9783642090455
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book offers a comprehensive selection of essays by leading experts, which covers all aspects of modern imaging, from its application and up-scaling to its development. The chapter content ranges from the basics to the most complex overview of method and protocols. There is ample practical and detailed "how-to" content on important, but rarely addressed topics. This first edition features all-colour-plate chapters, licensed software and a unique, continuously updated website forum.

Madness

Madness PDF Author: Justin Garson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197613837
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
Since the time of Hippocrates, madness has typically been viewed through the lens of disease, dysfunction, and defect. In Madness, philosopher of science Justin Garson presents a radically different paradigm for conceiving of madness and the forms that it takes. In this paradigm, which he calls madness-as-strategy, madness is neither a disease nor a defect, but a designed feature, like the heart or lungs. The book will be essential reading for philosophers of medicine and psychiatry, historians and sociologists of medicine, and mental health service users, survivors, and activists, for its alternative and liberating vision of what it means to be mad.

Protein Moonlighting in Biology and Medicine

Protein Moonlighting in Biology and Medicine PDF Author: Brian Henderson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111895209X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
The past 25 years has seen the emergence of a wealth of data suggesting that novel biological functions of known proteins play important roles in biology and medicine. This ability of proteins to exhibit more than one unique biological activity is known as protein moonlighting. Moonlighting proteins can exhibit novel biological functions, thus extending the function of the proteome, and are also implicated in the pathology of a growing number of idiopathic and infectious diseases. This book, written by a cell biologist, protein evolutionary biologist and protein bioinformatician, brings together the latest information on the structure, evolution and biological function of the growing numbers of moonlighting proteins that have been identified, and their roles in human health and disease. This information is revealing the enormous importance protein moonlighting plays in the maintenance of human health and in the induction of disease pathology. Protein Moonlighting in Biology and Medicine will be of interest to a general readership in the biological and biomedical research community.

Distribution and Important Biological Features of Coastal Fish Resources in Southeast Asia

Distribution and Important Biological Features of Coastal Fish Resources in Southeast Asia PDF Author: Somsak Chullasorn
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9789251024959
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 96

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Book Description
The distribution and important biological features of the major coastal fish resources in the region, covering fin-fish, both pelagic and demersal, shrimps and cephalopods, are reviewed.

Role of Molecular Chaperones in Structural Folding, Biological Functions, and Drug Interactions of Client Proteins

Role of Molecular Chaperones in Structural Folding, Biological Functions, and Drug Interactions of Client Proteins PDF Author: Mario D. Galigniana
Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers
ISBN: 1681086158
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 279

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Book Description
The book provides an updated panorama of the functional relevance of molecular chaperones in the proper folding of client factors, protein-protein interactions, the regulation of key biological functions, the development of ligand-based structural complexes and the consequent pharmacological or biotechnological applications of these processes. The involvement of molecular chaperones in several processes ranging from regulation of transcription factors and protein-protein interactions in bacteria to proteostasis, signaling pathways and cancer are also addressed. The book is an essential consulting tool for researchers, working professionals in academia or industry, and students of all levels who wish to obtain the most relevant and updated information currently available about protein folding and chaperones.