On Growth and FormWhy do living things and physical phenomena take the form they do? D'Arcy Thompson's classic On Growth and Form looks at the way things grow and the shapes they take. Analysing biological processes in their mathematical and physical aspects, this historic work, first published in 1917, has also become renowned for the sheer poetry of its descriptions. A great scientist sensitive to the fascinations and beauty of the natural world tells of jumping fleas and slipper limpets; of buds and seeds; of bees' cells and rain drops; of the potter's thumb and the spider's web; of a film of soap and a bubble of oil; of a splash of a pebble in a pond. D'Arcy Thompson's writing, hailed as 'good literature as well as good science; a discourse on science as though it were a humanity', is now made available for a wider readership, with a foreword by one of today's great populisers of science, explaining the importance of the work for a new generation of readers. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - gbsallery - LibraryThingAccording to the biographical information, D'Arcy Thompson was offered his professorship in either classics, biology or maths, being equally advanced in all three fields. This book reflects that ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - yapete - LibraryThingThis is a great classic and a masterpiece of out-of-the-box thinking. I like it because it puts mathematic and physics back into biology, which has been completely dominated by genetics for the last ... Read full review
Contents
Introductory | 1 |
On Magnitude | 15 |
The Forms of Cells | 49 |
The Forms of Tissues or Cellaggregates | 88 |
On Spicules and Spicular Skeletons | 132 |
The Equiangular | 172 |
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Common terms and phrases
according actual angles animal appear arrangement axis beautiful becomes begin body bone bubble called cause cells certain closely co-ordinates common compared complete constant construction continuous corresponding curvature curve cylinder definite described diagram dimensions direction drop edges equal fact figure fish fluid follows forces grow growth hexagonal horn illustrated important increase instance larger least length less limit lines liquid living load magnitude mass material mathematical matter means mechanical meet method Nature nearly organism original outline particular phenomena phenomenon physical plane portion position possible precisely pressure principle problem produced relative represented result seen separate shape shell short side similar simple skeleton skull solid species sphere spherical spicules spiral stress structure successive surface tend tension things tion transformation varies various walls weight whole
References to this book
Bibliographic information
| Title | On Growth and Form Cambridge paperbacks Canto (Cambridge University Press) Canto Series Canto edition Knjižnica Canto |
| Author | D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson |
| Editor | John Tyler Bonner |
| Edition | abridged, illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press, 1992 |
| ISBN | 0521437768, 9780521437769 |
| Length | 345 pages |
| Subjects | › › Science / Life Sciences / Cell Biology Science / Life Sciences / Developmental Biology Science / Reference |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |