The Concept of the Gene in Development and Evolution: Historical and Epistemological Perspectives

ISBN-13: 9780521771870 / Angielski / Twarda / 2000 / 404 str.

Peter J. Beurton (Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgesch;Raphael Falk (Hebrew University of Jerusalem);Hans-Jörg Rheinberger (Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschafts

Opis

Advances in molecular biological research in the past forty years have made the story of the gene vastly complicated: the more we learn about genes, the less sure we are of what a gene really is. Knowledge about the structure and functioning of genes abounds, but the gene has also become curiously intangible. This collection of essays renews the question: what are genes? This book is unique in that it is the first interdisciplinary volume, written by philosophers, historians, and working scientists, solely devoted to the quest for the gene. It will be of interest to professionals and students in the philosophy and history of science, genetics, and molecular biology.

Recenzje

"This is a very strong collection of essays on a crucial topic and deserves to be widely read. Historians, philosophers, and biologists will all find interesting material here, some of it quite novel." Jrnl of the History of Biology

Spis treści

Introduction; Part I. Genes and Traits: 1. The dissolution of protein coding genes in molecular biology Thomas Fogle; 2. The differential concept of the gene: past and present Sara Schwartz; 3. Gene concepts and genetic concepts Fred Gifford; Part II. Extracting The Units Of Heredity: 4. From measurement to organization: a philosophical scheme for the history of the concept of heredity Jean Gayon; 5. From gene to genetic hierarchy: Richard Goldschmidt and the problem of the gene Michael R. Dietrich; 6. Seymour Benzer and the definition of the gene Frederic L. Holmes; Part III. Genetic Programs and Developmental Genes: 7. Decoding the genetic program Evelyn Fox Keller; 8. Genes classical and developmental: the different use of genes in evolutionary synthesis Scott F. Gilbert; 9. The developmental gene concept: history and limits Michel Morange; Part IV. Conceptual Perspectives: 10. Gene concepts: fragments from the perspective of molecular biology Hans-Jörg Rheinberger; 11. Reproduction and the reduction of genetics James R. Griesemer; 12. A unified view of the gene, or how to overcome reductionism Peter J. Beurton; The gene - a concept in tension: A critical overview Raphael Falk.