Developmental Principles: Fact or Fiction
While still at school, most of us are deeply impressed by the underlying principles that so beautifully explain why the chemical elements are ordered as they are in the periodic table, and may wonder, with the theoretician Brian Goodwin, “whether there might be equally powerful principles that accou...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/980151 |
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| author | A. J. Durston |
| author_facet | A. J. Durston |
| author_sort | A. J. Durston |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While still at school, most of us are deeply impressed by the underlying principles that so beautifully explain why the chemical elements are ordered as they are in the periodic table, and may wonder, with the theoretician Brian Goodwin, “whether there might be equally powerful principles that account for the awe-inspiring diversity of body forms in the living realm”. We have considered the arguments for developmental principles, conclude that they do exist and have specifically identified features that may generate principles associated with Hox patterning of the main body axis in bilaterian metazoa in general and in the vertebrates in particular. We wonder whether this exercise serves any purpose. The features we discuss were already known to us as parts of developmental mechanisms and defining developmental principles (how, and at which level?) adds no insight. We also see little profit in the proposal by Goodwin that there are principles outside the emerging genetic mechanisms that need to be taken into account. The emerging developmental genetic hierarchies already reveal a wealth of interesting phenomena, whatever we choose to call them. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4f55d65b0f28422fb6dfa3364414e6c5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1537-744X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Scientific World Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-4f55d65b0f28422fb6dfa3364414e6c52025-02-03T06:48:39ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal1537-744X2012-01-01201210.1100/2012/980151980151Developmental Principles: Fact or FictionA. J. Durston0Sylvius Laboratory, Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Wassenaarseweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The NetherlandsWhile still at school, most of us are deeply impressed by the underlying principles that so beautifully explain why the chemical elements are ordered as they are in the periodic table, and may wonder, with the theoretician Brian Goodwin, “whether there might be equally powerful principles that account for the awe-inspiring diversity of body forms in the living realm”. We have considered the arguments for developmental principles, conclude that they do exist and have specifically identified features that may generate principles associated with Hox patterning of the main body axis in bilaterian metazoa in general and in the vertebrates in particular. We wonder whether this exercise serves any purpose. The features we discuss were already known to us as parts of developmental mechanisms and defining developmental principles (how, and at which level?) adds no insight. We also see little profit in the proposal by Goodwin that there are principles outside the emerging genetic mechanisms that need to be taken into account. The emerging developmental genetic hierarchies already reveal a wealth of interesting phenomena, whatever we choose to call them.http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/980151 |
| spellingShingle | A. J. Durston Developmental Principles: Fact or Fiction The Scientific World Journal |
| title | Developmental Principles: Fact or Fiction |
| title_full | Developmental Principles: Fact or Fiction |
| title_fullStr | Developmental Principles: Fact or Fiction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developmental Principles: Fact or Fiction |
| title_short | Developmental Principles: Fact or Fiction |
| title_sort | developmental principles fact or fiction |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/980151 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ajdurston developmentalprinciplesfactorfiction |