Abstract
Functional biologists, like Claude Bernard, ask “How?”, meaning that they investigate the mechanisms underlying the emergence of biological functions (proximal causes), while evolutionary biologists, like Charles Darwin, asks “Why?”, meaning that they search the causes of adaptation, survival and evolution (remote causes). Are these divergent views on what is life? The epistemological role of functional biology (molecular biology, but also biochemistry, physiology, cell biology and so forth) appears essential, for its capacity to identify several mechanisms of natural selection of new characters, individuals and populations. Nevertheless, several issues remain unsolved, such as orphan metabolic activities, i.e., adaptive functions still missing the identification of the underlying genes and proteins, and orphan genes, i.e., genes that bear no signature of evolutionary history, yet provide an organism with improved adaptation to environmental changes. In the framework of the Extended Synthesis, we suggest that the adaptive roles of any known function/structure are reappraised in terms of their capacity to warrant constancy of the internal environment (homeostasis), a concept that encompasses both proximal and remote causes.Reviewers: Dr. Neil Greenspan and Dr. Eugene Koonin.
Highlights
In a paper that appeared more than 50 years ago, the renowned evolutionary biologist, Ernst Mayr, while discussing the term “biology”, realized that this field was perceived by the scientific community in a uniform and unified sense [1]
The extended synthesis of evolution theory offers a multidisciplinary framework in which several branches of biology are fully integrated to obtain an improved description of the evolution of life
Genetics and molecular biology offer powerful tools to understanding the mechanisms underlying changes in the structures and functions observed in cells and organisms
Summary
In a paper that appeared more than 50 years ago, the renowned evolutionary biologist, Ernst Mayr, while discussing the term “biology”, realized that this field was perceived by the scientific community in a uniform and unified sense [1]. Moving beyond a merely descriptive approach, very different fields of research emerged. For this reason, he suggested to organise biology into two major areas: functional biology (physiology) and evolutionary biology. Functional biology is concerned with the operation and interactions of structural components, starting from the molecular level, advancing to cells and organs, and eventually ending with individuals. Functional biology analyses the proximal causes that we can experience every day in our lives. The main question in this discipline is “how?”, or in other words, how does something function or operate?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
