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- Title
On organism: environment buffers and their ecological significance.
- Authors
Lynn Trainor
- Abstract
Abstract We consider, from a physical perspective, the case where the interface between an organism and its environment becomes large enough that it acts as a buffer regulating their matter and energy exchanges. We illustrate the physiological and evolutionary role of buffers through the example of lungfish estivation. Then we ponder the relevance of buffers of this kind to the quest for a general definition of concepts like niche construction, the extended phenotype, and related ones, whose meaning is conveyed at present mostly through particular examples. Finally, we comment on the potential significance of buffers to organism—environment codetermination in the sense originally suggested by Lewontin.
- Publication
Biology & Philosophy, 2008, Vol 23, Issue 3, p403
- ISSN
0169-3867
- Publication type
Academic Journal