The Biology and History of Molecular Biology: New PerspectivesSahotra Sarkar This book is a collection of papers which reflect the recent trends in the philosophy and history of molecular biology. It brings together historians, philosophers, and molecular biologists who reflect on the discipline's emergence in the 1950's, its explosive growth, and the directions in which it is going. Questions addressed include: (i) what are the limits of molecular biology? (ii) What is the relation of molecular biology to older subdisciplines of biology, especially biochemistry? (iii) Are there theories in molecular biology? (iv) If so, how are these theories structured? (v) What role did information theory play in the rise of molecular biology? The book will open the way for many future researchers. |
Contents
PHILOSOPHY HISTORY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INTRODUCTION | 1 |
WHAT THE DOUBLE HELIX 1953 HAS MEANT FOR BASIC BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE | 15 |
THEORY STRUCTURE AND KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 27 |
THE CASE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS | 47 |
UNDERAPPRECIATED PATHWAYS TOWARD MOLECULAR GENETICS AS ILLUSTRATED BY JEAN BRACKETS CYTOCHEMICAL EMBR... | 67 |
REPRESENTING INTERVENING AND MOLECULARIZING | 87 |
ENZYMATIC ADAPTATION AND THE ENTRANCE OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INTO EMBRYOLOGY | 101 |
THE MOLECULARIZATION OF IMMUNOLOGY | 125 |
REDUCTIONISM IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 171 |
INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO THE CONTRIBUTIONS BY SARKAR AND THALER | 185 |
A SKEPTICAL LOOK AT SOME CENTRAL DOGMAS OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 187 |
PATTERN AS MAP | 233 |
| 249 | |
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activity adaptive enzymes amino acid analysis antibody antigen approach argued bacteria Bareiss basis behavior biochemical biochemistry Biol biologists Brachet Burian Cambridge cell cellular chemical chemistry chromosomes classical genetics comma-free code complex concept context Crick criteria cybernetics cytoplasm defined Delbrück differentiation discipline discussed DNA sequence embryology embryonic enzyme eugenics evolutionary exemplar experimental explanation function Gamow gene geneticists genome History of Molecular human hypothesis idiotypic immune response immune system immunology inducer interactions ISBN Lederberg lymphocyte Max Delbrück mechanisms Mendel Metchnikoff molecular biology molecular genetics molecules Monod morphogenesis nature non-reductionist nucleic acid operon organism paper Pauling Perspectives phage phagocyte philosophy of biology Philosophy of Science photosynthesis physical plasmagenes problems production protein synthesis reaction receptor reduction reductionism reductionist regulation role Sarkar Schaffner scientific social specificity Spiegelman structure studies Tauber techniques tion triplet University Press Waddington Watson Wimsatt York