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Book
Self-Organization in Biological Systems
Authors: --- --- --- ---
ISBN: 0691212929 Year: 2020 Publisher: Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press,

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Abstract

The synchronized flashing of fireflies at night. The spiraling patterns of an aggregating slime mold. The anastomosing network of army-ant trails. The coordinated movements of a school of fish. Researchers are finding in such patterns--phenomena that have fascinated naturalists for centuries--a fertile new approach to understanding biological systems: the study of self-organization. This book, a primer on self-organization in biological systems for students and other enthusiasts, introduces readers to the basic concepts and tools for studying self-organization and then examines numerous examples of self-organization in the natural world. Self-organization refers to diverse pattern formation processes in the physical and biological world, from sand grains assembling into rippled dunes to cells combining to create highly structured tissues to individual insects working to create sophisticated societies. What these diverse systems hold in common is the proximate means by which they acquire order and structure. In self-organizing systems, pattern at the global level emerges solely from interactions among lower-level components. Remarkably, even very complex structures result from the iteration of surprisingly simple behaviors performed by individuals relying on only local information. This striking conclusion suggests important lines of inquiry: To what degree is environmental rather than individual complexity responsible for group complexity? To what extent have widely differing organisms adopted similar, convergent strategies of pattern formation? How, specifically, has natural selection determined the rules governing interactions within biological systems? Broad in scope, thorough yet accessible, this book is a self-contained introduction to self-organization and complexity in biology--a field of study at the forefront of life sciences research.


Book
Geochemical kinetics
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ISBN: 069122949X Year: 2008 Publisher: Princeton ; Oxford : Princeton University Press,

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Abstract

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of geochemical kinetics--the application of chemical kinetics to geological problems, both theoretical and practical. Geochemical Kinetics balances the basic theories of chemical kinetics with a thorough examination of advanced theories developed by geochemists, such as nonisothermal kinetics and inverse theories, including geochronology (isotopic dating), thermochronology (temperature-time history), and geospeedometry (cooling rates). The first chapter provides an introduction and overview of the whole field at an elementary level, and the subsequent chapters develop theories and applications for homogeneous reactions, mass and heat transfer, heterogeneous reactions, and inverse problems. Most of the book's examples are from high-temperature geochemistry, with a few from astronomy and environmental sciences. Appendixes, homework problems for each major section, and a lengthy reference list are also provided. Readers should have knowledge of basic differential equations, some linear algebra, and thermodynamics at the level of an undergraduate physical chemistry course. Geochemical Kinetics is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the mathematical treatment of geochemical questions.

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