Bringing Chemistry to Life : From Matter to Man
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
In this book, the authors describe the long journey from formless inanimate matter to man, explaining the nature and the logic of the physical-chemical processes involved. It stresses the limitations of reductionism analyses of these processes as complexity increases and novel properties
emerge. And, in particular, the authors develop the idea that it was chemical change of the environment that allowed evolution of life to occur and that this evolution required successive addition of new message systems and information codes connected, compatible, and cooperative with previous
extant systems. In doing so, the authors analyze the relationship between chemical element content and speciation both in inanimate and living systems in terms of fundamental units and variables or composite (derived) units and variables. Through such analysis, the authors conclude that chemical
speciation is very much a matter of chemical cooperation (order versus disorder) while biological speciation requires cooperative flow of chemicals and energy (organization versus disorder). They argue that chance mutations of DNA are far too simple to provide a basis for evolution and biological
diversity, though it is a representation of such diversity. It is the survival strength of systems of molecular machinery which separate and generate living species. In the final chapter, they analyze the effect of man's activities on the present global and local ecosystems and speculate on the
possible nature of the emergent properties to be expected from an ever-increasing complexity of information based modern societies.
Book Info
Develops the ideas that chemical change of the environment allowed evolution of life to occur and that this evolution required successive addition of new message systems and information codesconnected, compatible, and cooperative with previous extant systems. DLC: Chemistry.
Bringing Chemistry to Life: From Matter to Man,R. J. P. Williams,J. J. R. Fra'usto da Silva,Oxford University Press, USA,0198505469,Chemistry,Chemistry (General),Chemistry - General,Chemistry - Organic,Life Sciences - Biochemistry,Life Sciences - Evolution,Science,Science/Mathematics,Biochemistry,Chemistry | Biological Chemistry | Biochemistry,Evolution,Science / Biochemistry
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