Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2026
Published In
Life Beyond Human Boundaries: John Dupré’s Philosophy And The Interdisciplinary Study Of The Life Sciences
Abstract
We recognize three great fluxes in nature. First there is the metabolic flow of molecules that pervades our cells and which creates organisms. Second, there is the developmental flow of cells that is our cycle of life. Third, there is the evolutionary flow of genes, organisms, and populations from the first single-celled prokaryotes to the extensive biodiversity present on earth today. Recent studies have shown that organisms are consortia of several species acting together. What we had thought of as metabolism based on a single genome is actually the co-metabolism of more than one species. What we had thought as development from a single zygote is actually sympoiesis, co-development, where symbionts provide important signals for normal cell differentiation and maturation. And what we had thought as evolution is the co-evolution of several species together.
Published By
Springer
Editor(s)
S. Leonelli, C. Neto, and S. Guttinger
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Scott F. Gilbert.
(2026).
"“Thou Hast Taught Me, Silent River, Many A Lesson, Deep And Long”: Metabolism, Development, And Evolution As Team Sports".
Life Beyond Human Boundaries: John Dupré’s Philosophy And The Interdisciplinary Study Of The Life Sciences.
73-89.
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-26977-5_5
https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-biology/739
Comments
This work is freely available under a Creative Commons license.