The Neoplastic Process and the Problems with the Attribution of Function.
Within the reductionist paradigm that has dominated the cancer research scene over the past 50 years, the definition of cancer and the explanation of its origin have always been given at the molecular genetic level. The neoplastic process is thus commonly explained as the accumulation of somatic mut...
| Publicado en: | Biology Forum / Rivista di Biologia Vol. 102; no. 2; pp. 273 - 296 |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
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Fabrizio Serra Editore
2009
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=47600434&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 47600434 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 18256538 M1F jtl: Biology Forum / Rivista di Biologia issn: 18256538 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: 2009 vid: 102 iid: 2 pid: 50689 pub: Fabrizio Serra Editore artinfo: ui: 47600434 ppf: 273 ppct: 23 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P size: 127KB tig: atl: The Neoplastic Process and the Problems with the Attribution of Function. aug: au: Bertolaso, Marta affil: University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Institute of Philosophy of Scientific and Technological Activity, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21 -- 00128 Rome su: Cancer research Reductionism Biocomplexity Molecular genetics Genetic mutation Genes sug: subj: Cancer research Reductionism Biocomplexity Molecular genetics Genetic mutation Genes keyword: biological complexity function reductionism systemic perspective ab: Within the reductionist paradigm that has dominated the cancer research scene over the past 50 years, the definition of cancer and the explanation of its origin have always been given at the molecular genetic level. The neoplastic process is thus commonly explained as the accumulation of somatic mutations in certain genes that thus give rise to tumor cells, with consequent assignment of function to those genes involved. Nevertheless, the search for an essential definition of this disease has shifted attention from molecular components toward the functional properties of the tumor itself, which seems to present specific capabilities, emerging over the course of the disease, so that the functional test is always required to test the properties of certain genes to give tumors. The aim of this work will be to analyze how functions are attributed within the reductionist paradigm, and then proceed to the hypothesis of cancer as a phenomenon linked to loss of organic function and discuss how this notion is consistent with a number of theories already present in the literature and could provide a more unified interpretation of the neoplastic process itself. From this analysis, some elements emerge that highlight the inadequacy of the reductionist interpretation of cancer, with some reasons for the inherent contradiction deriving from the attribution of function to the parts of a biological system when one wants to explain the whole. We also suggest that the characteristics of cancer cells could be functions recovered coincident with the loss of certain functions of the organism as a whole. In this light, a different relation emerges between cancer and selective pressure. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: Copyright of Biology Forum / Rivista di Biologia is the property of Fabrizio Serra Editore and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. item: Biology Forum / Rivista di Biologia holder: Fabrizio Serra Editore dt: @attributes: year: 2009 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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