Philosophy of Developmental Biology
The history of developmental biology is interwoven with debates as to whether mechanistic explanations of development are possible or whether alternative explanatory principles or even vital forces need to be assumed. In particular, the demonstrated ability of embryonic cells to tune their developme...
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| Format: | Online |
| Sprog: | engelsk |
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Cambridge University Press
2024
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| Online adgang: | ONIX_20240708_9781108954181_15 |
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| _version_ | 1869527285572304896 |
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| author | Weber, Marcel |
| author_browse | Weber, Marcel |
| author_facet | Weber, Marcel |
| author_sort | Weber, Marcel |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | The history of developmental biology is interwoven with debates as to whether mechanistic explanations of development are possible or whether alternative explanatory principles or even vital forces need to be assumed. In particular, the demonstrated ability of embryonic cells to tune their developmental fate precisely to their relative position and the overall size of the embryo was once thought to be inexplicable in mechanistic terms. Taking a causal perspective, this Element examines to what extent and how developmental biology, having turned molecular about four decades ago, has been able to meet the vitalist challenge. It focuses not only on the nature of explanations but also on the usefulness of causal knowledge – including the knowledge of classical experimental embryology – for further scientific discovery. It also shows how this causal perspective allows us to understand the nature and significance of some key concepts, including organizer, signal and morphogen. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-140035 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| publisherStr | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1400352024-07-09T05:36:12Z Philosophy of Developmental Biology Weber, Marcel Philosophy of biology Developmental biology Reductionism Vitalism Mechanism Causality thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion The history of developmental biology is interwoven with debates as to whether mechanistic explanations of development are possible or whether alternative explanatory principles or even vital forces need to be assumed. In particular, the demonstrated ability of embryonic cells to tune their developmental fate precisely to their relative position and the overall size of the embryo was once thought to be inexplicable in mechanistic terms. Taking a causal perspective, this Element examines to what extent and how developmental biology, having turned molecular about four decades ago, has been able to meet the vitalist challenge. It focuses not only on the nature of explanations but also on the usefulness of causal knowledge – including the knowledge of classical experimental embryology – for further scientific discovery. It also shows how this causal perspective allows us to understand the nature and significance of some key concepts, including organizer, signal and morphogen. 2024-07-09T05:36:10Z 2024-07-09T05:36:10Z 2024-07-08T16:19:23Z 2022 book ONIX_20240708_9781108954181_15 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/91678 9781108954181 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/140035 eng open access image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/91678/1/206575.pdf Cambridge University Press 10.1017/9781108954181 10.1017/9781108954181 12615a55-20f1-4eb5-a6c9-5eb6541f63e5 07f61e34-5b96-49f0-9860-c87dd8228f26 c9fff097-a6b0-4c97-afcd-d033f5f27a3d 9781108954181 Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) Cambridge 10BP12_206575 Open Access Books Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung Swiss National Science Foundation 10.13039/501100001711 open access |
| spellingShingle | Philosophy of biology Developmental biology Reductionism Vitalism Mechanism Causality thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion Weber, Marcel Philosophy of Developmental Biology |
| title | Philosophy of Developmental Biology |
| title_full | Philosophy of Developmental Biology |
| title_fullStr | Philosophy of Developmental Biology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Philosophy of Developmental Biology |
| title_short | Philosophy of Developmental Biology |
| title_sort | philosophy of developmental biology |
| topic | Philosophy of biology Developmental biology Reductionism Vitalism Mechanism Causality thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion |
| topic_facet | Philosophy of biology Developmental biology Reductionism Vitalism Mechanism Causality thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion |
| url | ONIX_20240708_9781108954181_15 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT webermarcel philosophyofdevelopmentalbiology |