Understanding Metaphors in the Life Sciences

ISBN-13: 9781108940498 / Angielski / Miękka / 2022

Andrew S. Reynolds

Opis

Introduces the diverse roles metaphors play in the life sciences and highlights their significance for theory, communication, and education.

Recenzje

'… Metaphors are ubiquitous in science, but especially so in biology, and the aim of the volume is to help us make sense of that … it offers a concise but comprehensive survey of the issue at hand. …The volume concludes with a nice succinct summary of common misunderstandings of the role of metaphors. To bring order to a rather sprawling literature, Reynolds introduces several helpful distinctions … Reynolds's treatment of the topic offers fine help to stay alert.' J. Arvid Ågren, The Quarterly Review of Biology

Spis treści

1. Metaphors and science; 2. Background metaphors: agents, machines, and information; 3. Genes and genomes: agents, codes, programs, blueprints, and books; 4. Proteins: machines, messengers, and team players; 5. Cells: factories, computers, and social organisms; 6. Evolution: natural selection, the tree of life, and selfish genes; 7. Ecology: the balance of nature, niches, ecosystem health, and gaia; 8. Biomedicine: genetic engineering, genome editing, and cell reprogramming.