Friends note, from Biology & Philosophy (Springer):
Biological regulation is what allows an organism to handle the effects of a perturbation, modulating its own constitutive dynamics in response to particular changes in internal and external conditions. With the central focus of analysis on the case of minimal living systems, we argue that regulation consists in a specific form of second-order control, exerted over the core (constitutive) regime of production and maintenance of the components that actually put together the organism. The main argument is that regulation requires a distinctive architecture of functional relationships, and specifically the action of a dedicated subsystem whose activity is dynamically decoupled from that of the constitutive regime. We distinguish between two major ways in which control mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of a biological organisation in response to internal and external perturbations: dynamic stability and regulation. Based on this distinction an explicit definition and a set of organisational requirements for regulation are provided, and thoroughly illustrated through the examples of bacterial chemotaxis and the lac-operon. The analysis enables us to mark out the differences between regulation and closely related concepts such as feedback, robustness and homeostasis. (paywall) More. – Bich, L., Mossio, M., Ruiz-Mirazo, K. et al. Biol Philos (2016) 31: 237. doi:10.1007/s10539-015-9497-8
But how does this second-order control take shape without design in nature? It’s the old “monkeys with typewriters bang out Shakespeare” problem again, if the argument is that “natural selection” works some magic on randomness.
See also: Natural genetic engineering? Natural popcorn? Or something more important?
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Very interesting paper.
Thanks for posting a reference to it here.
Here’s a link to this paper:
http://philsci-archive.pitt.ed.....phy%29.pdf
Here’s another link to this paper:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leonardo_Bich2/publication/281126020_Biological_regulation_controlling_the_system_from_within/links/55dc8cd208ae9d659494f5d6.pdf
Here’s another paper on the topic:
The role of regulation in the origin and synthetic modeling of minimal cognition.
Article (PDF Available)?in?Bio Systems 148:12-21 · October 2016?with?64 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2015.08.002 · Source: PubMed
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leonardo_Bich2/publication/281166601_The_role_of_regulation_in_the_origin_and_synthetic_modeling_of_minimal_cognition/links/560bf5a808ae73e7a6a2d0b9.pdf
Here’s another paper on this topic:
Theoretical principles for biology: Organization
Article (PDF Available)?in?Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 122(1) · August 2016?with?86 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.07.005
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matteo_Mossio/publication/306076621_Theoretical_principles_for_biology_Organization/links/57bd7dc908ae6918243021ff.pdf
Kind of related, but this one has more explicitly pseudoscientific nonsensical hogwash. Still it describes a few interesting concepts – well, at least it gives it a try:
Theoretical principles for biology: Variation
Article (PDF Available)?in?Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 122(1) · August 2016?with?129 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.08.005
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mael_Montevil/publication/306140617_Theoretical_principles_for_biology_Variation/links/57bb1c5d08aed66b5db7a5ec.pdf
The biological default state of cell proliferation with variation and motility, a fundamental principle for a theory of organisms
Article (PDF Available)?in?Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 122(1) · July 2016?with?93 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.06.006
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mael_Montevil/publication/304780440_The_biological_default_state_of_cell_proliferation_with_variation_and_motility_a_fundamental_principle_for_a_theory_of_organisms/links/57bb1d3708ae9fdf82ef029d.pdf
Toward a theory of organisms: Three founding principles in search of a useful integration
Article (PDF Available)?in?Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 122(1) · August 2016?with?150 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.07.006
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mael_Montevil/publication/305919513_Toward_a_theory_of_organisms_Three_founding_principles_in_search_of_a_useful_integration/links/57ca08fc08ae59825180f6de.pdf
Carcinogenesis explained within the context of a theory of organisms
Article (PDF Available)?in?Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 122(1) · August 2016?with?174 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.07.004
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carlos_Sonnenschein/publication/305888475_Carcinogenesis_explained_within_the_context_of_a_theory_of_organisms/links/57abcb5b08ae3765c3b7a14d.pdf
Modeling mammary organogenesis from biological first principles: Cells and their physical constraints
Article (PDF Available)?in?Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 122(1) · August 2016?with?83 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.08.004
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mael_Montevil/publication/306373304_Modeling_mammary_organogenesis_from_biological_first_principles_Cells_and_their_physical_constraints/links/57bd8ba108ae6c703bc657b3.pdf
OK, let’s take a break for entertainment:
Why do we need theories?
http://www.sciencedirect.com/s.....0716300633
(paywall)
From physical to biological individuation
Article (PDF Available)?in?Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 122(1) · July 2016?with?19 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.07.002
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Miquel_Paul_Antoine2/publication/305392959_From_physical_to_biological_individuation/links/57b10af908ae15c76cba2a2d.pdf
OK, let’s take another quick break for entertainment:
Biological Individuation Revisited
Paul-Antoine Miquel1* and Su-Young Hwang2
1Université de Toulouse 2, 5 Allée Antonio Machado 31058, TOULOUSE Cedex 9, France
2Hongik University, Department of Liberal Arts and Science, Sejong-Ro 2639, Jochiwon-eup, the New city of Sejong, South Korea
https://www.esciencecentral.org/journals/biological-individuation-revisited-2379-1764-1000188.pdf
Reductionist perspectives and the notion of information
Article?in?Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 122(1) · July 2016?with?32 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.07.003
http://www.di.ens.fr/users/lon.....mation.pdf
Systems and Organizations: Theoretical Tools, Conceptual Distinctions and Epistemological Implications
Chapter (PDF Available) · January 2016?with?77 Reads
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-24391-7_21
In book: Towards a Post-Bertalanffy Systemics, Publisher: Springer, Editors: G. Minati; M. Abram; E. Pessa, pp.203-209
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leonardo_Bich2/publication/291697765_Systems_and_Organizations_Theoretical_Tools_Conceptual_Distinctions_and_Epistemological_Implications/links/56a531b108aeef24c58bc68f.pdf
Circularities, Organizations, and Constraints in Biology and Systems Theory
Article (PDF Available)?in?Constructivist Foundations 12(1):14-16 · January 2016?with?10 Reads
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leonardo_Bich2/publication/310793628_Circularities_Organizations_and_Constraints_in_Biology_and_Systems_Theory/links/5836ecac08ae74bb3aa42410.pdf
The role of regulation in the origin and synthetic modeling of minimal cognition.
Article (PDF Available)?in?Bio Systems 148:12-21 · October 2016?with?67 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2015.08.002 · Source: PubMed
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leonardo_Bich2/publication/281166601_The_role_of_regulation_in_the_origin_and_synthetic_modeling_of_minimal_cognition/links/560bf5a808ae73e7a6a2d0b9.pdf
Individuality, subjectivity, and minimal cognition
Article?in?Biology and Philosophy · October 2016?with?4 Reads
DOI: 10.1007/s10539-016-9543-1
http://petergodfreysmith.com/w.....G3-Dst.pdf
The many faces of biological individuality
Article (PDF Available)?in?Biology and Philosophy 31(6) · November 2016?with?13 Reads
DOI: 10.1007/s10539-016-9553-z
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Pradeu/publication/310762809_The_many_faces_of_biological_individuality/links/583b38e408aed5c6148ba980.pdf
News:
Have they tried monkeys with tablets?
Should they try iPad, Android or Surface tablets separately to see which brand is more conducive to evolution, whatever that means? 🙂
Organisms or biological individuals? Combining physiological and evolutionary individuality
Article (PDF Available)?in?Biology and Philosophy 31(6) · November 2016?with?11 Reads
DOI: 10.1007/s10539-016-9551-1
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Pradeu/publication/310765409_Organisms_or_biological_individuals_Combining_physiological_and_evolutionary_individuality/links/583b3ae808ae3d9172412be4.pdf
maybe a little pseudoscientific nonsensical hogwash (PSNH) ?
Thirty years of Biology & Philosophy: philosophy of which biology?
Article (PDF Available)?in?Biology and Philosophy · December 2016?with?33 Reads
DOI: 10.1007/s10539-016-9558-7
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Pradeu/publication/311785329_Thirty_years_of_Biology_Philosophy_philosophy_of_which_biology/links/585bbbd708aebf17d3864775.pdf
OK, how about another break? 🙂
History and Philosophy of Biology . By Robert Kretsinger. World Scientific, 2015. Pp. 364. Price GBP 38.00. ISBN 9789814635042
Article (PDF Available)?in?Acta Crystallographica Section D Biological Crystallography 71(11):2362-2363 · November 2015?with?29 Reads
DOI: 10.1107/S1399004715015163
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jean_Pierre_Jacquot/publication/283475633_History_and_Philosophy_of_Biology_By_Robert_Kretsinger_World_Scientific_2015_Pp_364_Price_GBP_3800_ISBN_9789814635042/links/56d70d3708aee1aa5f75c2a4.pdf
Interesting observations:
http://www.evolutionnews.org/2.....03438.html