The Common Extremalities In Biology And Physics. Maximum Energy Dissipation Principle In Chemistry, Biology, Physics And Evolution

The Common Extremalities in Biology and Physics The Common Extremalities in Biology and Physics Maximum Energy Dissipation Principle in Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Evolution Second Edition Adam Moroz De Montfort University Leicester, UK AMSTERDAM BOSTON HEIDELBERG LONDON NEW YORK OXFORD PARIS SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE SYDNEY TOKYO G G G G G G G G G G Elsevier 32 Jamestown Road, London NW1 7BY 225 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 02451, USA First edition by the Publishing House of the Ministry of Economy of the Belarusian Republic (Belarus) 1997 Second edition 2012 Copyright r 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangement with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein). Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN: 978-0-12-385187-1 For information on all Elsevier publications visit our website at elsevierdirect.com This book has been manufactured using Print On Demand technology. Each copy is produced to order and is limited to black ink. The online version of this book will show color figures where appropriate. Preface The science of living nature is known as biology. Biology, in the modern sense of the word, encompasses the entire hierarchy of life from the atomic-molecular level to the global biogeocenosis