M. Wnuk: Geneza i rozwój idei elementarnej jednostki życia – W kierunku filozofii nanobiologii. Lublin: Wydawnictwo KUL; 2013, ss. 272. [The Genesis and Development of the "Elementary Unit of Life” Idea: Towards the Philosophy of Nanobiology]
Contents
INTRODUCTION [7]
THE HISTORY OF THE'MINIMUM OF LIFE'CONCEPT [19]
The ancient and medieval historic-philosophical sources of biological atomism [19]
Biological atomism during the modern times before cell theory [28]
Origination of cell theory and its significance in biological sciences [38]
THE CELL AS THE BIOLOGICAL ATOM [45]
Some important theses of the cell doctrine [45]
The organismal aspect of cell theory [50]
The reductionism aspect of cell theory [56
The minimal genom necessary for the existence of the minimal living cell [58]
THE SMALLEST ULTRAMICROORGANISMS OR THE NATURAL MINERAL (OR ORGANIC) FORMATIONS? [67]
Nanobacteria and other nanobes [68]
Viruses: From parvoviruses to giruses [80]
Virusoids and 'orphan replicons': viroids, plasmids etc. [93]
Prions [97]
Ribo-organisms: when a chemical molecule may be living? [103]
THE SUBCELLULAR STRUCTURES AS THE LIVING UNITS? [107]
The'energide'theory [107]
Biocomplexes and organoids as the elementary biological units [108]
The 'cell bodies' theory (the neo-energide theory) [110]
Nano-protoplasm as the ultimate unit of life [114]
Organelles or endosymbionts [119]
THE MODELS OF THE MINIMAL LIVING SYSTEM [123]
The first models of'cell' [123]
Coacervate [125]
Jeewanu -'particle of life' [129]
Microsphere [132]
Bioid [134]
Minimal (M,R)-system [136]
Chemoton [139]
Minimal autopoietic system [145]
Minimal synthetic protocell [154]
Alternative life forms and the elementary unit of life [157]
NANOSCIENCES AND NANOTECHNOLOGIES IN THE FACE OF THE PROBLEM OF THE ELEMENTARY UNIT OF LIFE [161
Cognitional possibilities of nanosciences and nanotechnologies [161]
In searching of the nature of life at nanoscale: Questions of bioplasma and biophotons [164]
FINAL REMARKS [173
BIBLIOGRAPHY [175]
INDEX OF NAMES [239]
SUMMARY [267]
