On Growth and FormCambridge University Press, 31 de jul. de 1992 - 345 páginas Why do living things and physical phenomena take the form they do? D'Arcy Thompson's classic On Growth and Form looks at the way things grow and the shapes they take. Analysing biological processes in their mathematical and physical aspects, this historic work, first published in 1917, has also become renowned for the sheer poetry of its descriptions. A great scientist sensitive to the fascinations and beauty of the natural world tells of jumping fleas and slipper limpets; of buds and seeds; of bees' cells and rain drops; of the potter's thumb and the spider's web; of a film of soap and a bubble of oil; of a splash of a pebble in a pond. D'Arcy Thompson's writing, hailed as 'good literature as well as good science; a discourse on science as though it were a humanity', is now made available for a wider readership, with a foreword by one of today's great populisers of science, explaining the importance of the work for a new generation of readers. |
Conteúdo
Introductory | 1 |
On Magnitude | 15 |
The Forms of Cells | 49 |
The Forms of Tissues or Cellaggregates | 88 |
On Spicules and Spicular Skeletons | 132 |
The Equiangular | 172 |
The Shapes of Horns and of Teeth or Tusks | 202 |
On Form and Mechanical Efficiency | 221 |
On the Theory of Transformations or the Comparison of Related Forms | 268 |
Epilogue | 326 |
| 329 | |
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Termos e frases comuns
animal Arch axis beautiful becomes bees bending-moments biology body bone bourrelet bubble cantilever catenoid cells co-equal co-ordinates compared compression configuration corresponding curvature curve cylinder D'Arcy Thompson D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson deformation diagram direction drop edges equal equiangular spiral equilibrium figure film fish fluid Foraminifera girder gnomon gravity grow Growth and Form hexagonal horn illustrated increase instance leaf less linear dimensions lines liquid load logarithmic spiral magnitude manifest Maraldi mathematical matter mean curvature mechanical molecular Nature organism outline partition phenomena phenomenon physical forces plane Plateau precisely pressure principle problem Proc Protohippus protoplasm Radiolaria ratio recognise rhombic dodecahedron shape shell side similar simple skeleton skull soap-bubbles solid solid of revolution species sphere spherical spicules stress structure surface surface-tension surfaces of revolution symmetry tend tension things tion tissue transformation tusk unduloid varies various vertebrae vesicles walls weight whole