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Abstract


An Effort to Explain the Process of Body Formation

Per Jonson
Year: 1996 Pages: 30
Keywords: biology, evolution, altruism, slime molds, slug, cells

ABOUT THE ABSTRACT

Please note: The abstract is not originally written by the author of the paper, but consists of

an effort to condensate the content in a shape common to scientific abstracts, performed by a

son of his. He himself was due to his unprecedented decease unable to fulfil the publication of

the paper.

ABSTRACT

In this paper a model for body formation is proposed, to a large extent founded upon a

biologically extended concept of ?altruism?, as contrasted to ?selfishness?. Though originally

selfish, cells seem to be able to act, as if were there an altruistic option, available at events of

deep crisis concerning the very survival of a society, as its destruction seems inevitable.

In the paper a special focus is put upon the properties of slime molds, but initially the

situation for prisoners in a concentration camp during a night formation in a severe cold

weather is described. Facing the common threat to freeze to death, they begin to unify as a

group, paradoxically feeling joy and strength being together, in spite of the killing cold.

External threats, that disable the individuals of a population from functioning, seem to release

supreme, thus far hidden, functions of the individual cells, which enable them to together

form a new body, on a higher existential level. However, once formed, these in turn begin to

exert selfishness. Hence, it is possible to draw the conclusion that there exists a balance of

forces between properties defined as altruistic and properties defined as selfish.

In connection with the process, during which cells under outer pressure unify with other cells,

thereby attaining a higher state, they lose their selfishness and begin obeying the orders given

by the new body. This is thoroughly being analysed in the paper.