On organism: environment buffers and their ecological significance

Autor:	José-Leonel Torres, L.E.H. Trainor
Rok vydání:	2008
Předmět:	Cognitive science Philosophy Philosophy of biology Niche construction History and Philosophy of Science Evolutionary biology Energy (esotericism) Ecological significance Meaning (existential) Biology General Agricultural and Biological Sciences Coevolution Organism
Zdroj:	Biology & Philosophy. 23:403-416
ISSN:	1572-8404 0169-3867
DOI:	10.1007/s10539-007-9107-5
Popis:	We consider, from a physical perspective, the case where the interface between an organism and its environment becomes large enough that it acts as a buffer regulating their matter and energy exchanges. We illustrate the physiological and evolutionary role of buffers through the example of lungfish estivation. Then we ponder the relevance of buffers of this kind to the quest for a general definition of concepts like niche construction, the extended phenotype, and related ones, whose meaning is conveyed at present mostly through particular examples. Finally, we comment on the potential significance of buffers to organism—environment codetermination in the sense originally suggested by Lewontin.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::c07416a05c2bde73716499ddf3fdcf6a https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-007-9107-5 Zobrazit plný text záznamu