Abstract
One Introduction.- 1 Life's logic.- 1.1 Nature is cyclical.- 1.2 There are two ways of replicating a system.- 1.3 Evolution of a self-replicating system is more exciting.- 1.4 Life as a communication channel.- 1.5 Some simple population genetics.- 1.6 Molecular details of biological systems.- 1.7 Cellular details of biological systems.- 1.8 The organism.- 1.9 Summary.- Two Growing.- 2 life as an energy transforming system.- 2.1 Life as an open system.- 2.2 The partitioning of energy in organisms.- 2.3 Problems in trying to assess efficiency.- 2.4 Some estimates of conversion efficiency in heterotrophs.- 2.5 Photosynthetic efficiency.- 2.6 Metabolic adaptation.- 2.7 Metabolic adaptability.- 3 Life as a cellular system.- 3.1 The cell cycle and growth.- 3.2 Differentiation and growth.- 3.3 Nutrient supply and cell division.- 4 Life as a dynamic steady-state.- 4.1 Tissues in flux.- 4.2 Molecules in flux.- 4.3 Cells in flux.- 4.4 Control of cell turnover.- 5 On the adaptive significance of growing.- 5.1 There are two ways to get bigger.- 5.2 Is there any benefit in adiposity and obesity?.- Three Reproduction.- 6 How organisms reproduce.- 6.1 Mitosis and meiosis.- 6.2 Sexual dimorphism.- 6.3 Ferilization in animals.- 6.4 Events leading to fertilization in plants.- 6.5 Why sex?.- 6.6 Why two sexes?.- 6.7 Conclusions.- 7 Quantitative aspects of reproduction.- 7.1 When to reproduce and by how much?.- 7.2 Whether to reproduce all at once or repeatedly?.- 7.3 The cost of reproduction.- 7.4 Examples of reproductive strategies.- 7.5 Reproductive adaptability.- 7.6 The size and number of gametes.- Four Ageing.- 8 The ageing process.- 8.1 What happens to organisms that do not meet an unnatural death?.- 8.2 The manifestation of ageing in the individual.- 8.3 Single or multiple theories of ageing?.- 8.4 Ageing by accident or design?.- 8.5 A hypothesis based on the random, non-programmed accumulation of molecular damage.- 8.6 Conclusions.- 9 The cycle reversed.- 9.1 Degrowth in triclads.- 9.2 Physiological evidence for rejuvenation in triclads.- 9.3 Actuarial evidence for rejuvenation.- 9.4 Rejuvenation by asexual fission.- 9.5 Rejuvenation by sexual reproduction.- Five Summary and Conclusions.- References.- Index of organisms.
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