The Problems of BiologyConcentrating on problems that commonly perplex general readers and beginning students, John Maynard Smith discusses fundamental issues in biology, with emphasis on evolution, development, and cognition. He provides a nontechnical account of molecular genetics, which is the foundation of modern biology, and explores such issues as heredity, animal behavior, the definition and origin of life, the brain and how we know things, artificial and natural intelligence, and genetics. The book is unique in presenting modern ideas in terms that can be understood without an in-depth knowledge of biology. |
Contents
The definition of life | 1 |
Heredity | 9 |
Sex recombination and the levels of life | 26 |
Copyright | |
10 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
achaete activation energy alter amino acids ancestor animals anticodon arise axon bacteria bacterium base sequence behaviour behaviourists biologists biology body brain bristles cause cells changes chapter chemical reactions chromosomes codon cognitive map complex concentration Darwin discussed droplets effect entities enzyme eukaryotes evolution evolutionary evolve example existing explain Figure function galactosides gametes genes genetic glycine haploid heredity hypercycle ideas individual input J. B. S. Haldane kinds living mechanism membrane Mendel's metabolism molecular molecules mutation natural selection nerve neurones nucleic acids objects occur origin oxygen pairs parthenogenetic particular pattern plants plasmid population possible primitive problem produce prokaryotes protein question random reason recombination region replication repressor reproduction requires retina sensory sexual shape similar single species stimulated structure substances suppose surface survival synapses synthesis theory things tissue triplets tRNA tRNA molecules vertebrates visual cortex Weismann