Download or read book Molecular Models of Life written by Sahotra Sarkar and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the transformation in biological practice and theory brought about by discoveries in molecular biology, until recently philosophy of biology continued to focus on evolutionary biology. When the Human Genome Project got underway in the late 1980s and early 1990s, philosophers of biology -- unlike historians and social scientists -- had little to add to the debate. In this landmark collection of essays, Sahotra Sarkar broadens the scope of current discussions of the philosophy of biology, viewing molecular biology as a unifying perspective on life that complements that of evolutionary biology. His focus is on molecular biology, but the overriding question behind these papers is what molecular biology contributes to all traditional areas of biological research.Molecular biology—described with some foresight in a 1938 Rockefeller Foundation report as a branch of science in which "delicate modern techniques are being used to investigate ever more minute details"—and its modeling strategies apparently argue in favor of physical reductionism. Sarkar's first three chapters explore reductionism—defending it, but cautioning that reduction to molecular interactions is not necessarily a reduction to genetics (and does not support the claims of either heriditarianism or environmentalism). The next sections of the book discuss function, exploring how functional explanations pose a problem for reductionism; the informational interpretation of biology and how it interacts with reductionism; and the tension between the unifying framework of molecular biology and the received framework of evolutionary theory. The concluding chapter is an essay in the emerging field of developmental evolution, exploring what molecular biology may contribute to the transformation of evolutionary theory as evolutionary theory takes into account morphogenetic development.
Download or read book Molecular Models of Life written by Sahotra Sarkar and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2007-01-26 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the transformation in biological practice and theory brought about by discoveries in molecular biology, until recently philosophy of biology continued to focus on evolutionary biology. When the Human Genome Project got underway in the late 1980s and early 1990s, philosophers of biology—unlike historians and social scientists—had little to add to the debate. In this landmark collection of essays, Sahotra Sarkar broadens the scope of current discussions of the philosophy of biology, viewing molecular biology as a unifying perspective on life that complements that of evolutionary biology. His focus is on molecular biology, but the overriding question behind these papers is what molecular biology contributes to all traditional areas of biological research.Molecular biology—described with some foresight in a 1938 Rockefeller Foundation report as a branch of science in which "delicate modern techniques are being used to investigate ever more minute details"—and its modeling strategies apparently argue in favor of physical reductionism. Sarkar's first three chapters explore reductionism—defending it, but cautioning that reduction to molecular interactions is not necessarily a reduction to genetics (and does not support the claims of either heriditarianism or environmentalism). The next sections of the book discuss function, exploring how functional explanations pose a problem for reductionism; the informational interpretation of biology and how it interacts with reductionism; and the tension between the unifying framework of molecular biology and the received framework of evolutionary theory. The concluding chapter is an essay in the emerging field of developmental evolution, exploring what molecular biology may contribute to the transformation of evolutionary theory as evolutionary theory takes into account morphogenetic development.
Download or read book Modeling Dynamic Phenomena in Molecular and Cellular Biology written by Lee A. Segel and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1984-03-30 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The dynamic development of various processes is a central problem of biology and indeed of all the sciences. The mathematics describing that development is, in general, complicated, because the models that are realistic are usually nonlinear. Consequently many biologists may not notice a possible application of theory. They may be unable to decide whether a particular model captures the essence of a system, or to appreciate that analysis of a model can reveal important aspects of biological problems and may even describe in detail how a system works. The aim of this textbook is to remedy the situation by adopting a general approach to model analysis and applying it several times to problems (drawn primarily from molecular and cellular biology) of gradually increasing biological and mathematical complexity. Although material of considerable sophistication is included, little mathematical background is required - only some exposure to elementary calculus; appendixes supply the necessary mathematics and the author concentrates on concepts rather than techniques. He also emphasizes the role of computers in giving a full picture of model behavior and complementing more qualitative analysis. Some problems suitable for computer analysis are also included. This is a class-tested textbook suitable for a one-semester course for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in biology or applied mathematics. It can also be used as a source book for teachers and a reference for specialists.
Download or read book Molecular Biology of the Cell written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Molecular Modeling written by Hans-Dieter Höltje and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-07-11 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by experienced experts in molecular modeling, this books describes the basics to the extent that is necessary if one wants to be able to reliably judge the results from molecular modeling calculations. Its main objective is the description of the various pitfalls to be avoided. Without unnecessary overhead it leads the reader from simple calculations on small molecules to the modeling of proteins and other relevant biomolecules. A textbook for beginners as well as an invaluable reference for all those dealing with molecular modeling in their daily work!
Download or read book Molecular Evolutionary Models in Drug Discovery written by Juan Bueno and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-01-22 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Molecular Evolutionary Models in Drug Discovery explores the application of evolutionary molecular models in drug discovery in which secondary metabolites play a fundamental role. Secondary metabolites are not produced in isolation, they are the result of the interaction of genes, metabolism and the environment. The book examines the role of secondary metabolites as leads in drug discovery and on the development of a rational bioprospecting model for new medicines based on the evolution of secondary metabolism. These evolutionary models are part of biological systems and are the most reliable expression of the functioning of living beings. Examines the integration and application of evolutionary models in the pharmaceutical industry to create new drug development platforms Investigates the biotechnological prospecting of secondary metabolites and their potential use in the discovery of new drugs Evaluates the ecosystem of living beings and how its molecular adaptation might improve the success of therapies
Download or read book Rendering Life Molecular written by Natasha Myers and published by Duke University Press. This book was released on 2015-08-27 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What are living bodies made of? Protein modelers tell us that our cells are composed of millions of proteins, intricately folded molecular structures on the scale of nanoparticles. Proteins twist and wriggle as they carry out the activities that keep cells alive. Figuring out how to make these unruly substances visible, tangible, and workable is a challenging task, one that is not readily automated, even by the fastest computers. Natasha Myers explores what protein modelers must do to render three-dimensional, atomic-resolution models of these lively materials. Rendering Life Molecular shows that protein models are not just informed by scientific data: model building entangles a modeler’s entire sensorium, and modelers must learn to feel their way through the data in order to interpret molecular forms. Myers takes us into protein modeling laboratories and classrooms, tracking how gesture, affect, imagination, and intuition shape practices of objectivity. Asking, ‘What is life becoming in modelers' hands?’ she tunes into the ways they animate molecules through their moving bodies and other media. In the process she amplifies an otherwise muted liveliness inflecting mechanistic accounts of the stuff of life.
Download or read book Molecular Modeling and Simulation written by Tamar Schlick and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-18 with total page 669 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Very broad overview of the field intended for an interdisciplinary audience; Lively discussion of current challenges written in a colloquial style; Author is a rising star in this discipline; Suitably accessible for beginners and suitably rigorous for experts; Features extensive four-color illustrations; Appendices featuring homework assignments and reading lists complement the material in the main text
Download or read book Models of Life written by Kim Sneppen and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-10-02 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An overview of current models of biological systems, reflecting the major advances that have been made over the past decade.
Download or read book Biological Modeling and Simulation written by Russell Schwartz and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2008-07-25 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A practice-oriented survey of techniques for computational modeling and simulation suitable for a broad range of biological problems. There are many excellent computational biology resources now available for learning about methods that have been developed to address specific biological systems, but comparatively little attention has been paid to training aspiring computational biologists to handle new and unanticipated problems. This text is intended to fill that gap by teaching students how to reason about developing formal mathematical models of biological systems that are amenable to computational analysis. It collects in one place a selection of broadly useful models, algorithms, and theoretical analysis tools normally found scattered among many other disciplines. It thereby gives the aspiring student a bag of tricks that will serve him or her well in modeling problems drawn from numerous subfields of biology. These techniques are taught from the perspective of what the practitioner needs to know to use them effectively, supplemented with references for further reading on more advanced use of each method covered. The text, which grew out of a class taught at Carnegie Mellon University, covers models for optimization, simulation and sampling, and parameter tuning. These topics provide a general framework for learning how to formulate mathematical models of biological systems, what techniques are available to work with these models, and how to fit the models to particular systems. Their application is illustrated by many examples drawn from a variety of biological disciplines and several extended case studies that show how the methods described have been applied to real problems in biology.
Download or read book The Molecular Life of Plants written by Russell L. Jones and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-08-31 with total page 1 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A stunning landmark co-publication between the American Society of Plant Biologists and Wiley-Blackwell. The Molecular Life of Plants presents students with an innovative, integrated approach to plant science. It looks at the processes and mechanisms that underlie each stage of plant life and describes the intricate network of cellular, molecular, biochemical and physiological events through which plants make life on land possible. Richly illustrated, this book follows the life of the plant, starting with the seed, progressing through germination to the seedling and mature plant, and ending with reproduction and senescence. This "seed-to-seed" approach will provide students with a logical framework for acquiring the knowledge needed to fully understand plant growth and development. Written by a highly respected and experienced author team The Molecular Life of Plants will prove invaluable to students needing a comprehensive, integrated introduction to the subject across a variety of disciplines including plant science, biological science, horticulture and agriculture.
Download or read book Molecular Modeling of Proteins written by Andreas Kukol and published by Humana Press. This book was released on 2017-04-30 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Molecular Modeling of Proteins, Second Edition provides a theoretical background of various methods available and enables non-specialists to apply methods to their problems by including updated chapters and new material not covered in the first edition. This detailed volume opens by featuring classical and advanced simulation methods as well as methods to set-up complex systems such as lipid membranes and membrane proteins and continues with chapters devoted to the simulation and analysis of conformational changes of proteins, computational methods for protein structure prediction, usage of experimental data in combination with computational techniques, as well as protein-ligand interactions, which are relevant in the drug design process. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include thorough introductions, step-by-step instructions and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding common pitfalls. Update-to-date and authoritative, Molecular Modeling of Proteins, Second Edition aims to aid researchers in the physical, chemical and biosciences interested in utilizing this powerful technology.
Download or read book The Biology of Thought written by Krishnagopal Dharani and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2014-08-28 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The question of "what is thought" has intrigued society for ages, yet it is still a puzzle how the human brain can produce a myriad of thoughts and can store seemingly endless memories. All we know is that sensations received from the outside world imprint some sort of molecular signatures in neurons – or perhaps synapses – for future retrieval. What are these molecular signatures, and how are they made? How are thoughts generated and stored in neurons? The Biology of Thought explores these issues and proposes a new molecular model that sheds light on the basis of human thought. Step-by-step it describes a new hypothesis for how thought is produced at the micro-level in the brain – right at the neuron. Despite its many advances, the neurobiology field lacks a comprehensive explanation of the fundamental aspects of thought generation at the neuron level, and its relation to intelligence and memory. Derived from existing research in the field, this book attempts to lay biological foundations for this phenomenon through a novel mechanism termed the "Molecular-Grid Model" that may explain how biological electrochemical events occurring at the neuron interact to generate thoughts. The proposed molecular model is a testable hypothesis that hopes to change the way we understand critical brain function, and provides a starting point for major advances in this field that will be of interest to neuroscientists the world over. Written to provide a comprehensive coverage of the electro-chemical events that occur at the neuron and how they interact to generate thought Provides physiology-based chapters (functional anatomy, neuron physiology, memory) and the molecular mechanisms that may shape thought Contains a thorough description of the process by which neurons convert external stimuli to primary thoughts
Download or read book A History of Molecular Biology written by Michel Morange and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every day it seems the media focus on yet another new development in biology--gene therapy, the human genome project, the creation of new varieties of animals and plants through genetic engineering. These possibilities have all emanated from molecular biology. A History of Molecular Biology is a complete but compact account for a general readership of the history of this revolution. Michel Morange, himself a molecular biologist, takes us from the turn-of-the-century convergence of molecular biology's two progenitors, genetics and biochemistry, to the perfection of gene splicing and cloning techniques in the 1980s. Drawing on the important work of American, English, and French historians of science, Morange describes the major discoveries--the double helix, messenger RNA, oncogenes, DNA polymerase--but also explains how and why these breakthroughs took place. The book is enlivened by mini-biographies of the founders of molecular biology: Delbrück, Watson and Crick, Monod and Jacob, Nirenberg. This ambitious history covers the story of the transformation of biology over the last one hundred years; the transformation of disciplines: biochemistry, genetics, embryology, and evolutionary biology; and, finally, the emergence of the biotechnology industry. An important contribution to the history of science, A History of Molecular Biology will also be valued by general readers for its clear explanations of the theory and practice of molecular biology today. Molecular biologists themselves will find Morange's historical perspective critical to an understanding of what is at stake in current biological research.
Download or read book The Causes of Molecular Evolution written by John H. Gillespie and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1994-05-26 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work provides a unified theory that addresses the important problem of the origin and maintenance of genetic variation in natural populations. With modern molecular techniques, variation is found in all species, sometimes at astonishingly high levels. Yet, despite these observations, the forces that maintain variation within and between species have been difficult subjects of study. Because they act very weakly and operate over vast time scales, scientists must rely on indirect inferences and speculative mathematical models. However, despite these obstacles, many advances have been made. The author's research in molecular genetics, evolution, and bio-mathematics has enabled him to draw on this work, and present a coherent and valuable view of the field. The book is divided into three parts. The first consists of three chapters on protein evolution, DNA evolution, and molecular mechanisms. This section reviews the experimental observations on genetic variation. The second part gives a unified treatment of the mathematical theory of selection in a fluctuating environment. The final two chapters combine the earlier assessments in a treatment of the scientific status of two competing theories for the maintenance of genetic variation. Steeped in the enormous advances population genetics has made over the past 25 years, this book has proven highly popular among human geneticists, biologists, evolutionary theorists, and bio-mathematicians.
Download or read book Methods of Molecular Analysis in the Life Sciences written by Andreas Hofmann and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-06-19 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An accessible overview of the most popular and cutting-edge methods for studying the properties of molecules and their interactions.
Download or read book The Thread of Life written by John Cowdery Kendrew and published by . This book was released on 1966 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
