Everything about Function Biology totally explained
A
function is part of an answer to a question about
why some object or process occurred in a system that
evolved through a process of
selection. Thus, function refers
forward from the object or process, along some chain of
causation to the goal or success. Compare this to the
mechanism of the object or process, which looks backward along some chain of causation, explaining
how the feature occurred.
A functional characteristic is known as an
adaptation, and the research tool for investigating whether a character is adaptive is known as
adaptationism. Although an assumption that a
character is functional may may be fruitful as a research method, it's important to note that some characteristics of organisms are non-functional, and may simply be emergent phenomena arising as a side effect of functional systems (see
Spandrel (biology)). They may also have lost their function over time due to changing conditions, in which case they're said to be
vestigial.
The correlation of form (also referred to as structure) and function is one of the central themes in
biology. However, knowing the structure of something doesn't necessarily reveal its function. To illustrate the point, an enzymologist discovering an unknown
enzyme would be highly unlikely to identify its function with only
structural information. It is also possible for different structures to carry out the same function.
Teeth and the
gizzard of a bird highlight this point: both grind up food, serving the same function in terms of
digestion.
As another example, the function of
chlorophyll in a plant is to capture the energy of sunlight for
photosynthesis, which contributes to growth and reproduction, and reproduction contributes to evolutionary success. Taking a broader view, all functions have the same end in that they contribute to
fitness, though they're each manifested through various
proximate mechanisms.
Function isn't the same as
purpose in the
teleological sense. Evolution is a blind process which has no 'goal' for the future. For example, a tree doesn't grow flowers for any purpose, but does so simply because it has evolved to do so. To say 'a tree grows flowers to attract pollinators' would be incorrect if the 'to' implies purpose. A function describes what something
does, not what its 'purpose' is. However, teleological terminology is often used by biologists as a sort of 'short hand' way of describing function, even though they know it's technically incorrect.
Laypersons may not understand this distinction, however.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Function Biology'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://function__biology.totallyexplained.com">Function (biology) Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
