Lynn Margulis Livres

Half a century ago the Austrian physicist and philosopher Erwin Schrodinger inspired a generation of scientists by rephrasing the philosophical question: What is life?. This text revisits this question in a narrative which combines rigorous science with philosophy, history and poetry. schovat popis

Offers an illustrated reference to both microbes and macroscopic organisms. Brief essays introduce broad outlines of kingdoms and phyla. Entries on specific organisms give information on appearance, environment, relations to other organisms, and how scientists group them, and include bandw photos and diagrams. An introduction explains classification systems. Includes lists of museums, geological sites, and Web sites, plus a glossary and lists of phyla and genera assigned to phyla. Six sets of 35-mm color transparencies are available. Useful for students of biology at any level. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Named ”best biology book of the year” by Library Journal, Symbiotic Planet describes how symbiosis is the key to understanding the origins of cells, the evolution of sex, the emergence of life on land, and even the physiology of our planet.

The Gaia theory states that on Earth, life interacts with and eventually becomes its own environment. Gaia is a holistic perspective asserting that the Earth is a self-regulating complex system, resonant with the ancient magico-religious understanding that all is one. Innovated by the atmospheric chemist James Lovelock, supported by microbiologist Lynn Margulis and named by novelist William Golding, Gaia states that the temperature and composition of the Earth's atmosphere are actively regulated by the sum of life on the planet, which, seeking a physical and chemical environment optimal for contemporary life, influences the physical attributes of Earth on a planetary scale. In the way that the human mind extends DNA, the atmosphere is an extension of the biosphere: as above, so below. Fusing science, mathematics, philosophy, ecology and mythology, Gaia and Philosophy challenges the anthropocentrism of Western rationalist thought to propose a symbiotic planet. In its striking philosophical conclusion - that the cybernetic control of the Earth's surface by its organisms calls into question the alleged uniqueness of human intelligent consciousness - the revolutionary Gaia paradigm holds important implications not only for understanding life's past but for shaping its future.

This collection features original contributions from symbiosis biologists and evolutionary theorists who challenge the adequacy of the neo-Darwinian concept of evolution. They present growing evidence that hereditary symbiosis, alongside gradual heritable mutations, plays a crucial role in the emergence of new species and morphological innovations. The concept of symbiosis, particularly the genetic and metabolic interactions of bacterial communities that evolved into the earliest eukaryotes, has garnered increasing interest among scientists. The contributions explore various topics, including the evolutionary implications of symbiosis, the prolonged physical associations between different species, and the significance of symbiosis in cell evolution, ecology, and morphogenesis. Key issues discussed include individuality, microbial symbioses, and animal-bacterial interactions. Lynn Margulis, a distinguished professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, is recognized as the modern originator of the symbiotic theory of cell evolution, which has transitioned from being viewed as heretical to becoming integral to the microbiological revolution. The volume includes insights from notable contributors in the field, reflecting a shift in understanding evolution through the lens of symbiotic relationships.

Kniha významnej americkej biologičky je o planetárnom živote a planetárnej evolúcii, ako aj o zmenách našich názorov na tieto dve oblasti. Ak možno hovoriť, že má aj istý podtext, tak je to výskum, konkrétne vedecký výskum, a množstvo zvratov a metód konania, ktoré ho môžu podporovať, alebo naopak, brzdiť.

Was ist Leben? Diese ebenso alte wie faszinierende Frage wird sich wohl nie abschlieAend beantworten lassen, doch hat die Naturwissenschaft Wesen, Ursprung und Entwicklung des Lebens inzwischen in beeindruckender Breite und Tiefe ergrA1/4ndet. Lynn Margulis und Dorion Sagan nehmen uns in ihrem ungewAhnlichen Buch auf eine spannende, im wahrsten Sinne denkwA1/4rdige Reise durch die Evolution mit. Der Bogen spannt sich dabei von der Entstehung des Lebens vor dreieinhalb Milliarden Jahren bis zur heutigen Vielfalt der Lebensformen auf unserem Planeten. Als ein Leitmotiv in dieser langen Geschichte, die auch unsere eigene ist, erweist sich die allmAhliche Zunahme der KomplexitAt. Die groAen Etappen der biologischen Evolution sind in den einzelnen Kapiteln des Buches dokumentiert, an deren Ende sich die Autoren der Frage "Was ist Leben?" immer wieder neu stellen. Im klugen Aufbau des Textes, in der kraftvollen, bildreichen Sprache und im Asthethischen Zusammenspiel von Text und Illustration entsteht so ein weitgefaAtes Panorama der Geschichte, Eigenheiten und Formenvielfalt des Lebens auf der Erde.