Horseman, Nelson (2024) Biological Theories in the Domain of Physiology. [Preprint]
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Abstract
Physiology has produced a rich theoretical foundation that is now understood to apply to all known life forms from microbes to plants and animals, including humans. Physiological theories are equal in scope to evolutionary theories, but they have received much less attention and critical analysis from biologists and philosophers. Four Theories (Principles) are identified here. These are Homeostasis, Positive Feedback, Growth and Development, and Reproduction. These are undergirded by the universal biological property of Metabolism.
Physiology provides the basis for identifying organisms as functionally integrated agents. Evolution and physiology are the primary theoretical domains of biology. The former explains the origins of species and the latter explains the operations of individuals. Physiological individuals (organisms) often, but not always, coincide with evolutionary units of selection (evolutionary individuals), viruses being an obvious exception.
The theoretical and practical relationships between physiology and evolution have not been sufficiently explored. Visible or otherwise directly observable features (anatomical traits, behaviors, etc.) are generally considered to be the organism's phenotype. Those phenotypic properties are directly consequent to physiological processes and principles, which are not per se encoded in the genome (homeostasis, positive feedback, etc.). Neither biologists nor philosophers have sufficiently considered how physiology translates and mediates the connection between genotype and phenotype.
Focusing on the centrality and unique ideas of physiology provides ways to navigate between superstitious life force notions and simplistic physicalism that presumes, but fails, to explain the nature of biological entities. The theoretical foundations of physiology deserve greater attention in basic biology education. There is an imbalance created by teaching the relevance of physical sciences to biology without acknowledging the primacy of biological theories, such as homeostasis and natural selection, which are not based in physics or chemistry and could not be deduced from any amount of physical science knowledge.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Keywords: | Homeostasis, Evolution, Feedback, Organism, Phenotype, Education | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Function/Teleology Specific Sciences > Complex Systems General Issues > Determinism/Indeterminism General Issues > Laws of Nature Specific Sciences > Medicine Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Nelson Horseman | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 30 Apr 2024 08:45 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 30 Apr 2024 08:45 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 23344 | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Function/Teleology Specific Sciences > Complex Systems General Issues > Determinism/Indeterminism General Issues > Laws of Nature Specific Sciences > Medicine Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics |
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| Date: | 2024 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/23344 |
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