Is it possible to explain and predict the development of living things? What is development? Articulate answers to these seemingly innocuous questions are far from straightforward. To date, no systematic, targeted effort has been made to construct a unifying theory of development. This novel work offers a unique exploration of the foundations of ontogeny by asking how the development of living things should be understood. It explores the key concepts of developmental biology, asks whether general principles of development can be discovered, and examines the role of models and theories.
The two editors (one a biologist with long interest in the theoretical aspects of his discipline, the other a philosopher of science who has mainly worked on biological systems) have assembled a team of leading contributors who are representative of the scientific and philosophical community within which a diversity of thoughts are growing, and out of which a theory of development may eventually emerge. They analyse a wealth of approaches to concepts, models and theories of development, such as gene regulatory networks, accounts based on systems biology and on physics of soft matter, the different articulations of evolution and development, symbiont-induced development, as well as the widely discussed concepts of positional information and morphogenetic field, the idea of a 'programme' of development and its critiques, and the long-standing opposition between preformationist and epigenetic conceptions of development.
Towards a Theory of Development is primarily aimed at students and researchers in the fields of 'evo-devo', developmental biology, theoretical biology, systems biology, biophysics, and the philosophy of science.

Thomas Pradeu; Alessandro Minelli

Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press

IRL Press at Oxford University Press

Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

German Historical Institute London

First edition, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2014

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Illustrated, 2014

1, PT, 2014

xiii, 283 pages : 25 cm
Is it possible to explain and predict the development of living things? What is development? Answers to these innocuous questions are far from straightforward. To date, no systematic, targeted effort has been made to construct a unifying theory of development. This text offers a unique exploration of the foundations of ontogeny by asking how the development of living things should be understood. It explores the key concepts of developmental biology, asks whether general principles of development can be discovered, and examines the role of models and theories. This book analyses a wealth of approaches to concepts, models and theories of development, such as gene regulatory networks, accounts based on systems biology and on physics of soft matter, the different articulations of evolution and development, symbiont-induced development, as well as the widely discussed concepts of positional information and morphogenetic field, the idea of a 'programme' of development and its critiques, and the long-standing opposition between preformationist and epigenetic conceptions of development
Includes bibliographical references and index
Theories of development in biology : problems and perspectives / Alessandro Minelli and Thomas Pradeu -- Regenerating theories in developmental biology / Thomas Pradeu -- The erotetic organization of developmental biology / Alan C. Love -- On the concept of mechanism in development / Johannes Jaeger and James Sharpe -- The epistemological resilience of the concept of morphogenetic field / Davide Vecchi and Isaac Hernandez -- Physico-genetics of morphogenesis : the hybrid nature of developmental mechanisms / Stuart A. Newman -- The landscape metaphor in development / Giuseppe Fusco, Roberto Carrer, and Emanuele Serrelli -- Formalizing theories of development : a fugue on the orderliness of change / Scott F. Gilbert and Jonathan Bard -- General theories of evolution and inheritance, but not development? / Wallace Arthur -- Cell differentiation is a stochastic process subjected to natural selection / Jean-Jacques Kupiec
From genes to gene regulatory networks : the progressive historical construction of a genetic theory of development and evolution / Michel Morange -- Reproduction and scaffolded developmental processes : an integrated evolutionary perspective / James Griesemer -- Comparison of animal and plant development : a right track to establish a theory of development? / Michel Vervoort -- Towards a theory of development through a theory of developmental evolution / Armin P. Moczek -- Developmental disparity / Alessandro Minelli -- Identifying some theories in developmental biology : the case of the cancer stem cell theory / Lucie Laplane -- Animal development in a microbial world / Spencer V. Nyholm and Margaret J. McFall-Ngai

La 4e De Couv. Indique : Is It Possible To Explain And Predict The Development Of Living Things? What Is Development? Answers To These Innocuous Questions Are Far From Straightforward. To Date, No Systematic, Targeted Effort Has Been Made To Construct A Unifying Theory Of Development. This Text Offers A Unique Exploration Of The Foundations Of Ontogeny By Asking How The Development Of Living Things Should Be Understood. It Explores The Key Concepts Of Developmental Biology, Asks Whether General Principles Of Development Can Be Discovered, And Examines The Role Of Models And Theories. This Book Analyses A Wealth Of Approaches To Concepts, Models And Theories Of Development, Such As Gene Regulatory Networks, Accounts Based On Systems Biology And On Physics Of Soft Matter, The Different Articulations Of Evolution And Development, Symbiont-induced Development, As Well As The Widely Discussed Concepts Of Positional Information And Morphogenetic Field, The Idea Of A 'programme' Of Development And Its Critiques, And The Long-standing Opposition Between Preformationist And Epigenetic Conceptions Of Development.

This volume explores the foundations of ontogeny by asking how the development of living things should be understood. It explores key concepts of developmental biology, asks whether general principles of development can be discovered, and what the role of models and theories is in developmental biology.

2024-07-01