Is defining life pointless? Operational definitions at the frontiers of biology

Synthese, Год журнала: 2017, Номер 195(9), С. 3919 - 3946

Опубликована: Апрель 18, 2017

Язык: Английский

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Modeling Organogenesis from Biological First Principles

History, philosophy and theory of the life sciences, Год журнала: 2023, Номер unknown, С. 263 - 283

Опубликована: Ноя. 10, 2023

Язык: Английский

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Revising the Superorganism: An Organizational Approach to Complex Eusociality

Frontiers in Psychology, Год журнала: 2019, Номер 10

Опубликована: Дек. 3, 2019

Eusociality is broadly defined as: colonies consisting of overlapping generations, cooperative brood care, and a reproductive division labor where sterile (or non-reproductive) workers help the members. Colonies many complex eusocial insect species (e.g., ants, bees, termites) exhibit traits, at collective level, that are more analogous to biological individuals rather than groups. Indeed, due this, most typically unit selection, which has led authors once again apply concept superorganism insects. However, unlike Wheeler, who originally employed from physiological evolutionary perspective, today understood only an using group selection. This because widely held view self-organized systems. According this view, even systems can be explained by appealing set local interactions between parts initially disordered system (i.e., self-organization), without need any hierarchical control. In paper, we challenge mainstream control regulation does not occur, or necessary, in colonies. Using case study honey bees (Apis mellifera), develop alternative self-organization approach focuses on nature organization systems-that refer as hierarchical-organizational approach. addition, analyze how insects show different organisms bring forth new cohesive organization, turn constitutive entities transformed process. paper argues inter-identity (namely superorganism) emerges level colonies, such hierarchically organized network within colony.

Язык: Английский

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Control mechanisms: Explaining the integration and versatility of biological organisms

Adaptive Behavior, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 30(5), С. 389 - 407

Опубликована: Янв. 27, 2022

Living organisms act as integrated wholes to maintain themselves. Individual actions can each be explained by characterizing the mechanisms that perform activity. But these alone do not explain how various activities are coordinated and performed versatilely. We argue this depends on a specific type of mechanism, control mechanism. develop an account examining several extensively studied operative in bacterium E. coli. On our analysis, what distinguishes mechanism from other is it relies measuring one or more variables, which results setting constraints determine its action flexible mechanisms. In most basic arrangement, measurement process directly determines but complex arrangements signals mediate between measurements effectors. This opens possibility multiple responses same based measurements. It also allows crosstalk, resulting networks Such integrate behaviors organism present challenge tailoring particular discuss activity still result differential, versatile, .

Язык: Английский

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Glycemia Regulation: From Feedback Loops to Organizational Closure

Frontiers in Physiology, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 11

Опубликована: Фев. 18, 2020

Endocrinologists apply the idea of feedback loops to explain how hormones regulate certain bodily functions such as glucose metabolism. In particular, focus on maintenance plasma concentrations within a narrow range. Here, we put forward different, organicist perspective endocrine regulation glycaemia, by relying pivotal concept closure constraints. From this perspective, biological systems are understood organized ones, which means that they constituted set mutually dependent functional structures acting constraints, whose depends their reciprocal interactions. Closure refers specifically mutual dependence among constraints in an organism. We show that, when compared loops, organizational can generate much richer descriptions processes and at play metabolism making explicit different hierarchical orders involved. expect proposed theoretical framework will open way construction original mathematical models, would provide better understanding from perspective.

Язык: Английский

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Mechanism, autonomy and biological explanation

Biology & Philosophy, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 36(6)

Опубликована: Ноя. 23, 2021

Abstract The new mechanists and the autonomy approach both aim to account for how biological phenomena are explained. One identifies appeals components of a mechanism organized so that their activities produce phenomenon. other directs attention towards whole organism focuses on it achieves self-maintenance. This paper discusses challenges each confronts could benefit from collaboration with other: mechanistic framework can gain by taking into what happens outside individual mechanisms, while ground itself in research actual constituting an autonomous system interact contribute different ways realize maintain system. To press case these two traditions should be constructively integrated we describe three recent developments tradition together provide bridge between traditions: (1) work constraints, (2) conception function grounded organization system, (3) focus control.

Язык: Английский

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Non-equilibrium thermodynamics and the free energy principle in biology

Biology & Philosophy, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 36(5)

Опубликована: Авг. 23, 2021

Abstract According to the free energy principle, life is an “inevitable and emergent property of any (ergodic) random dynamical system at non-equilibrium steady state that possesses a Markov blanket” (Friston in J R Soc Interface 10(86):20130475, 2013). Formulating principle for sciences terms concepts from statistical physics, such as , ergodicity places substantial constraints on theoretical empirical study biological systems. Thus far, however, physics foundations have received hardly attention. Here, we start fill this gap analyse some challenges raised by applications modelling targets. Based our analysis, conclude model-building grounded exacerbates trade-off between generality realism, because fundamental mismatch its assumptions properties actual

Язык: Английский

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Bio-inspired molecular machines and their biological applications

Coordination Chemistry Reviews, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 443, С. 214039 - 214039

Опубликована: Май 27, 2021

Язык: Английский

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Organization needs organization: Understanding integrated control in living organisms

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 93, С. 96 - 106

Опубликована: Март 30, 2022

Organization figures centrally in the understanding of biological systems advanced by both new mechanists and proponents autonomy framework. The focus on how components mechanisms are organized to produce a phenomenon emphasize productive continuity between these components. framework focuses system such way that they contribute maintenance organisms them. In this paper we analyze compare two accounts organization argue as cohesively integrated benefits from insights both. To bring together accounts, notions control regulation bridge concepts. We start characterization terms constraints specific type mechanism, mechanisms, operate other basis measurements variables its environment. Control characterized their own set enable them sense conditions, convey signals, effect changes controlled mechanism. They thereby allow living adapt internal external variations coordinate parts manner maintain viability. Because contain vast number central challenge is understand themselves organized. With support examples unicellular multicellular heterarchically, discuss architecture can, without invoking top-down centralized forms organizations, succeed coordinating activities organisms.

Язык: Английский

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Ecosystem health and malfunctions: an organisational perspective

Biology & Philosophy, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 38(5)

Опубликована: Сен. 14, 2023

A recent idea of "ecosystem health" was introduced in the 1970s and 1980s to draws attention fact that ecosystems can become ill because a reduction properties such as primary productivity, functions diversity interactions among system components. Starting from 1990s, this has been deeply criticized by authors who argued that, insofar show many differences with respect organismic features, these two kinds systems cannot share typical property health. In years, an organisational approach philosophy biology ecology both organisms may fundamental characteristic despite their differences, namely, closure. Based on kind closure, scholars have also discussed health malfunctional states organisms. paper, we examine possibility expanding malfunctions ecological domain. Firstly, will see malfunction is related lower effectiveness functional behaviour some biotic components other systemic We then how species do not satisfactorily interact closure ecosystem components, thus posing threat self-maintenance which they are found. Accordingly, argue be said healthy when it vital environment organisationally grounded its intrinsic capacity ensure, under favourable conditions, appropriate behaviours for self-maintenance.

Язык: Английский

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