Human Evolutionary Biology - Textbook Revolution

576 Pages·2006·1.94 MB·English

by  Flora Wong

$29.95
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Human r Human Anatomy and
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d Physiology from an
Evolutionary t

v Evolutionary Perspective
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Human Anatomy and Physiology
Biology n

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from an Evolutionary Perspective
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veryone is interested in Human Biology. l
This book is…
Anatomy and physiology permeate our daily
timely — there are no others. experiences from conception to death.
Biology holds the key to our love and hate,
up-to-date— it includes health and sickness, reproduction and
infertility, terrible two‘s and adolescent
discoveries of recent months.
rebellion. Indeed, the study of human biology
complete—it provides an opens the door to an understanding of life
itself. Despite many pieces still missing, the
essential overview as well as a
overall patterns are clear—nature is prolific,
detailed explanation of human resources are limited, competition is fierce,
variation is inevitable. With only the most
body systems.
fit surviving to reproduce, natural selection
exciting— because it presents brings about endless adaptive changes.
a great deal of information in a In his inimitably upbeat and irreverent style,
Dr. Arndt von Hippel demonstrates how
more meaningful fashion.
the latest scientific findings confirm a
tortuous progression of events from the
It will equally engross the
universal Big Bang to you. Dr. von Hippel is
struggling biology student and an accomplished surgeon and popular
teacher whose three previous books were
the educated layperson.
enthusiastically received. Reviewers of those
texts commented:
“The style of writing is attractive, interesting
and clear… obviously the work of a very
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Stone Age practical man who has given a lot of thought t
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P R E S S to all problems of thoracic surgery n
e
management… over a very long experience.”

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The Australian & New Zealand
g
Journal of Surgery
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“…tout clair et coherent, susceptible
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d'interesser tous les chirurgiens et les e
s
anesthesistes reanimateurs…” s
Annales de Cardiologie et D'Angeiologie
“I highly recommend this book…”
Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Arndt von Hippel

Human Evolutionary Biology
Comments by reviewers of this text:
“The author displays an excellent talent for describing biologic
processes in easy to comprehend and interesting lay terms”
“…The level and quality of the physiology presentation is much
better than (in) any straight physiology text we examined.”
“…an admirably…functional approach which I heartily applaud.”
“charming and informative…”
“Reducing the human species to just one type of evolutionary form
is folly(!)”
“All necessary topics are covered… I believe the approach is
appropriate, even refreshing to someone like myself. It is droll and
sardonic… very readable… the level of detail…may be the
strongest aspect of this presentation. I enjoyed reading the text,
particularly its irreverent analogies… The continual discussion of
the selective pressure and its consequences on the genome and
reproductive success is the most successful part of the presentation.
Yes, by all means… a valuable addition to a modern human
biology course.”
“He is quite a good writer and I enjoyed a chuckle or two as I
read the manuscript. I got the sense of a “Fantastic Voyage”
approach… a very nice job of tying in the evolutionary connec-
tions… the integration of familiar examples…gives one a sense
that this material has some relevance to the real world.”

Human
Evolutionary
Biology
Human Anatomy and Physiology
from an Evolutionary Perspective
Arndt von Hippel
STONE AGE PRESS
Anchorage, Alaska
Human Evolutionary Biology
Human Anatomy and Physiology from an Evolutionary Perspective
by Arndt von Hippel
Published by:
Stone Age Press
1649 Bannister Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
[phone]
Cover design: Leslie Newman
Book design and production: Newman Design/Illustration
Printer: R.R. Donnelley and Sons
Publisher’s Cataloging in Publication Data
von Hippel, Arndt, 1932–
Human evolutionary biology : human anatomy and physiology from an
evolutionary perspective / Arndt von Hippel.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Pre-assigned LCCN: 94-067336
ISBN 0-9615808-2-8
1. Human biology. 2. Evolution (Biology) 3. Natural selection.
I. Title
QP34.5.V65 1995 612
QBI94-1508
© 1994 Arndt von Hippel. All rights reserved.
This book protected by copyright. Short excerpts may be reproduced without written
permission from the publisher, provided credit is given to copyright holder and
publisher’s address is included.
Stone Age Books are selected and published with care by Stone Age Press of Alaska.
It is the publisher’s intent to present significant material in a sturdy, inexpensive
and pleasing format that will assure Stone Age Press a good name and goodwill.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
for
Marianne, Ted, Bill, Karin, Frank
and those yet to come
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vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
PROLOGUE TO CREATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Overview;… All Creatures Bear Evidence;… What Is Scientific Evidence,
And How Can We Be Sure?… There Are Thousands of Religions But Just
One Science;… There Is No Scientific Basis For Any Religion;… Religions
Lose Credibility When They Attack Science;… How Shall We Recognize
Scientific Truth When We See It?… A Never-ending Series Of Questions
Leads To New Scientific Discoveries;… Correlation, Causation, Anecdotal
Evidence And Biased Reporting;… So You Must Decide.
CHAPTER 1: THE BIG BANG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
E = mc2;… Overview;… The Moment Of Creation—A Big Bang;…
Inflation Theory;… As Matter Cooled It Formed Simple Atoms, Some Of
Which Were Unstable;… Both Nuclear Fission And Nuclear Fusion Can
Convert A Little Matter Into A Lot Of Energy;… Proton Count Establishes
Atom Identity While Electron Count Controls Chemistry;… Only Simple
Atoms Resulted From The Big Bang, So Primordial Chemistry Was
Simple;… Stars Utilize Gravitational Energy To Repackage Protons And
Neutrons Within Heavier Elements;… Naturally Radioactive Isotopes
Release Star Energy At Predictable Rates;… Summary.
CHAPTER 2: BEFORE LIFE WAS CHEMISTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Overview;… The Origin of Life On Earth;… Prebiotic Earth;… Life Is
Water-Based;… Constant Molecular Collisions;… A Mole Is A Very
Specific Number Of Molecules;… Water Is Liquid Because… Acid, Alkali
And pH;… Oxidation And Reduction—Electron Donor Seeks Electron
Grabber And Vice Versa;… First Life Was Anaerobic;… Carbon Chemistry
Is The Chemistry Of Life;… Putting Out Fires;… Life Produces And
Depends Upon An Unstable Atmosphere;… The Elements Of Life.
viii Human Evolutionary Biology
CHAPTER 3: THE GATHERING INFORMATION STORM. . . . . . . . . . . 47
There Were No Guidelines For Prebiotic Molecules;… Natural Selection
Chooses Without Caring;… Alive, Not Alive Or Dead;… Life’s Limits;…
Life Is A Bacteria-Based Show;… Sterility;… Inheritance;… Naked DNA
As Free Advice;… Protein-Covered Advice;… Parasitic Opinions And
Afterthoughts;… The Rising Information Tide Lifts All Life Before It;…
Advice Comes From All Directions;… The Path Not Taken;… Mind Over
Living Matter And Vice Versa;… Diffusion Of Information;… Gaia And
Homeostasis;… The Thermodynamics Of Life;… Life Is A Four Letter
Word;… Complementary DNA Strands Fit Together;… RNA Utilized U
Instead Of T;… Those 100,000 Genes Are The Real You;… How The
Modular Tools And Processes Of Life Evolve;… 100,000 Genes Are
NotEnough.
CHAPTER 4: ONE HUMAN CELL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Passing Your DNA Onward;… Semipermeable Membranes;… The
Corporate Cell;… Cell Components And Assembly: How You Produce Self-
Assembling, Self-Sealing Cell Membranes In Your Watery World—I: In
Water, Fatty Acids Clump Up As Micelles;… II: Three Fatty Acids
Covalently Bonded To One Glycerol Form Neutral Fat (A Triglyceride);…
III: Cell Membranes Are Self-Assembled Phospholipid Bilayers;… IV: DNA
Determines Membrane Characteristics, Membranes Help Determine Which
Genes Will Be Expressed;… V: And There Is More To Life Than That;…
DNA And RNA Are Linear Nucleotide Polymers;… By Their Enzymes
Shall Ye Know Them;… Chromosomes Are Nucleoproteins;… Many
Introns Must Be Excised From Messenger RNA (mRNA);… Upon Release
From The Nucleus, Messenger RNA Is Translated Into Amino Acids By
Ribosomes;… Proteins Are The Ultimate Molecular Tools Because Of Their
Unlimited Variability In Size, Shape, Charge, Solubility And Allosteric
Movements (Ability To Change Shape In Response To Changes In Their
Environment);… Peptide Bonds Are Rigid Connections;… It Is Tough For
A Protein To Get Back Into Shape But DNA Does It All The Time;… As In
Politics, New Combinations Are Common, New Ideas Rare;… The Letters
Endure: The Patterns Pass;… Immortality Would Be Fatal;… Cell Imports
And Exports;… Diffusion, Osmosis And The Second Law Of
Thermodynamics;… Photosynthesis, Oxygen And Carbohydrates;…
Glucose, Glycogen And Osmosis.