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Are there special constants in biology that define organism's morphology?
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Keith Ball
Are there special constants in biology that define organism's morphology?
I don't know if this is what you mean, but take a look at BioNumbers.
Also, mathematical constants like pi are different from physical constants. Mathematical constants are true in a mathematical (logic) sense, and do not need to be related to any physical quantity. They are derived by logic. Physical constants, on the other hand, typically describe an observed relation between two types of quantities. They are derived by measurement.
I don't know if this is what you mean, but take a look at BioNumbers.
Also, mathematical constants like pi are different from physical constants. Mathematical constants are true in a mathematical (logic) sense, and do not need to be related to any physical quantity. They are derived by logic. Physical constants, on the other hand, typically describe an observed relation between two types of quantities. They are derived by measurement.
I think you have the direction of causality reversed. Due to either physical, chemical or dynamical properties of cells and organisms, it would certainly be possible to see patterns of constants emerge when making some measurements. I don't think you can say that the mathematical constants define any aspect of an organism. The Golden Ratio, or phi, was brought up as a recurring pattern in nature (e.g., the spiral pattern of snail. shells and sunflower seeds) but these are emergent properties of a physical system bound by physical constraints, and it so happens some pattern is used because it is efficient (in whatever sense that may mean).
I think you have the direction of causality reversed. Due to either physical, chemical or dynamical properties of cells and organisms, it would certainly be possible to see patterns of constants emerge when making some measurements. I don't think you can say that the mathematical constants define any aspect of an organism. The Golden Ratio, or phi, was brought up as a recurring pattern in nature (e.g., the spiral pattern of snail. shells and sunflower seeds) but these are emergent properties of a physical system bound by physical constraints, and it so happens some pattern is used because it is efficient (in whatever sense that may mean).
There are 20 references concerning facial symmetry and the golden ratio indexed on PubMed, and nearly 800 mentioning the golden ratio itself. I'm not sure there will be scientific evidence per se, since that would require experimental evidence. Instead, most of what I've seen about the golden ratio (or the associated logarithmic spiral or golden angle) are observational reports. The significance of this number is debated, but I don't see any arguments discounting its existence.More
I don't know if this is what you mean, but take a look at BioNumbers.
Also, mathematical constants like pi are different from physical constants. Mathematical constants are true in a mathematical (logic) sense, and do not need to be related to any physical quantity. They are derived by logic. Physical constants, on the other hand, typically describe an observed relation between two types of quantities. They are derived by measurement.
I don't know if this is what you mean, but take a look at BioNumbers.
Also, mathematical constants like pi are different from physical constants. Mathematical constants are true in a mathematical (logic) sense, and do not need to be related to any physical quantity. They are derived by logic. Physical constants, on the other hand, typically describe an observed relation between two types of quantities. They are derived by measurement.
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I think you have the direction of causality reversed. Due to either physical, chemical or dynamical properties of cells and organisms, it would certainly be possible to see patterns of constants emerge when making some measurements. I don't think you can say that the mathematical constants define any aspect of an organism. The Golden Ratio, or phi, was brought up as a recurring pattern in nature (e.g., the spiral pattern of snail. shells and sunflower seeds) but these are emergent properties of a physical system bound by physical constraints, and it so happens some pattern is used because it is efficient (in whatever sense that may mean).
I think you have the direction of causality reversed. Due to either physical, chemical or dynamical properties of cells and organisms, it would certainly be possible to see patterns of constants emerge when making some measurements. I don't think you can say that the mathematical constants define any aspect of an organism. The Golden Ratio, or phi, was brought up as a recurring pattern in nature (e.g., the spiral pattern of snail. shells and sunflower seeds) but these are emergent properties of a physical system bound by physical constraints, and it so happens some pattern is used because it is efficient (in whatever sense that may mean).
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