|
|
|
|
 | Glimpses of Creatures in Their Physical Worlds |
Glimpses of Creatures in Their Physical Worlds offers an eye-opening look into how the characteristics of the physical world drive the designs of animals and plants. These characteristics impose limits but also create remarkable and subtle opportunities for the functional biology of organisms. In particular, Steven Vogel examines the size and scale, and trade-offs among different physical processes. He pays attention to how the forms and activities of animals and plants reflect the materials available to nature, and he explores the unique constraints and possibilities provided by fluid flow, structural design, and environmental forces. Each chapter of the book investigates a facet of the physical world, including the drag on small projectiles; the importance of diffusion and convection; the size-dependence of acceleration; the storage, conduction, and dissipation of heat; the relationship among pressure, flow, and choice in biological pumps; and how elongate structures tune their relative twistiness and bendiness. Vogel considers design-determining factors all too commonly ignored, and builds a bridge between the world described by physics books and the reality experienced by all creatures. Glimpses of Creatures in Their Physical Worlds contains a wealth of accessible information related to functional biology, and requires little more than a basic background in secondary-school science and mathematics. Drawing examples from creatures of land, air, and water, the book demonstrates the many uses of biological diversity and how physical forces impact biological organisms. Steven Vogel is James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Biology at Duke University. His numerous books include Comparative Biomechanics (Princeton), and Cats' Paws and Catapults (Norton). "This charismatic book is a fascinating read and Vogel is exceptionally good at presenting the material so that it is accessible to a general audience. The book presents new conceptions, data, and interpretations, but its most impressive aspect is the wide range of diverse examples collected in one place, displaying a lifetime's worth of accumulated knowledge and wisdom."--Amy S. Johnson, Bowdoin College "The book draws case studies from an enormous diversity of organisms, and the scholarship is meticulous--the sources used and cited are both appropriate and extensive. They not only contribute to the text itself, but also comprise a bibliography that will be widely consulted by students at many levels and by readers interested in pursuing specific topics in more depth."--Sharon Swartz, Brown University Preface vii Other Princeton books by Steven Vogel:
Subject Areas: | |||||
Prices subject to change without notice File created: 11/4/2009 | |||||
Questions and comments to: webmaster@press.princeton.edu | |||||