On the Reduction of Genetics to Molecular Biology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10704682 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Steven O Kimbrough (0000-0001-7173-5272, University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1979 |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 389-406 |
| Publication date | 1979-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0031-8248 • E-ISSN: 1539-767X |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1086/288883 |
| OpenAlex | W1997928502 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 9 |
The applicability of Nagel's concept of theory reduction, and related concepts of reduction, to the reduction of genetics to molecular biology is examined using the lactose operon in Escherichia coli as an example. Geneticists have produced the complete nucleotide sequence of two of the genes which compose this operon. If any example of reduction in genetics should fit Nagel's analysis, the lactose operon should. Nevertheless, Nagel's formal conditions of theory reduction are inapplicable in this case. Instead, it is argued that genetics has been partially reduced to molecular biology in the sense of token-token reduction
Biology · Computational biology · Escherichia coli · Gene · Molecular genetics · Operon · Reduction (mathematics) · Gene Regulatory Network Analysis · Genetics · Mathematics · Origins and Evolution of Life · Philosophy and History of Science
| Citations per year | 0.07 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1982 - 2021 (40) |
| Highly cited | No |