Asymmetry of living systems
| Autor: | Edgar Taschdjian |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1970 |
| Předmět: |
Statistics and Probability
Differential equation media_common.quotation_subject Motor Activity Animal Population Groups Asymmetry General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Theoretical physics Animals Biology Entropy (arrow of time) media_common Physics General Immunology and Microbiology Applied Mathematics Stereoisomerism General Medicine Plants Global symmetry Living systems Explicit symmetry breaking Classical mechanics Modeling and Simulation Arrow Thermodynamics Anatomy General Agricultural and Biological Sciences General validity |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Theoretical Biology. 26:417-428 |
| ISSN: | 0022-5193 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/0022-5193(70)90093-7 |
| Popis: | An analysis is made of the terms isometric symmetry, homeomorphic symmetry, temporal symmetry and generative symmetry . It is shown that the quest for symmetry is motivated by an esthetical attitude which prefers constancy and “being” to mutability and change. This attitude expresses itself in physics as the quest for parity and invariance and in mechanics as the elimination of “time's arrow” from differential equations. The principle of entropy contradicts the general validity of symmetry principles. Mach's principle that action and reaction are equal applies only to symmetrical systems, but as soon as friction, heat and entropy are taken into consideration it is seen that the laws of mechanics apply only to fictitious, non-existent isolated systems. The optical asymmetry of molecules, as well as the asymmetry found in the anatomy of plants and animals, further militates against the view that nature is governed by symmetry principles. In physiology, the selective preference for natural isomers and the vectorial nature of membrane transport indicate the importance of asymmetry for biological systems. It is concluded that organisms are asymmetrical systems in disequilibrium and that their study should be based on the concepts of perturbation theory. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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