Origin of Group Identity: Viruses, Addiction and CooperationA sense of belonging is basic to the human experience. But in this, humans are not unique. Essentially all life, from bacteria to humans, have ways by which it determines which members belong and which do not. This is a basic cooperative nature of life I call group membership which is examined in this book. However, cooperation of living things is not easily accounted for by current theory of evolutionary biology and yet even viruses display group membership. That viruses have this feature would likely seem coincidental or irrelevant to most scientist as having any possible relationship to human group identity. Surely such simple molecular-based relationships between viruses are unrelated to the complex cognitive and emotional nature of human group membership. Yet viruses clearly affect bacterial group membership, which are the most diverse and abundant cellular life form on Earth and from which all life has evolved. Viruses are the most ancient, numerous and adaptable biological entities we know. And we have long recognized them for the harm and disease they can cause, and they have been responsible for the greatest numbers of human deaths. However, with the sequencing of entire genomes and more recently with the shotgun sequencings of habitats, we have come to realize viruses are the black hole of biology; a giant force that has until recently been largely unseen and historically ignored by evolutionary biology. Viruses not only can cause acute disease, but also persist as stable unseen agents in their host. |
Contents
1 | |
27 | |
Sensory Systems Light Odor Pheromones in Communities of Oceanic Microbes | 101 |
Subjugation of the Individual Prokaryotic Group Living Blooms Slime and Mats | 129 |
From Slime to Worms Emergence of the Brain | 164 |
Learning to Belong | 255 |
Other editions - View all
Origin of Group Identity: Viruses, Addiction and Cooperation Luis P. Villarreal No preview available - 2014 |
Origin of Group Identity: Viruses, Addiction and Cooperation Luis P. Villarreal No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
adaptive immune system addiction modules animals apes apoptosis appears associated bacteria basal belief biology capacity cells cellular chapter chimpanzees chromosome chromovirus clearly cognitive colonization communication complex cyanobacteria detection dinoflagellates distinct diversity DNA viruses dsRNA elegans elements emotional encodes endogenous eukaryotes evolution evolutionary evolved example expression females fish function fungi genes genetic parasites genomes group behavior group identity HERV HERV-K highly host human hyperparasites identification identity systems induce infection interactions involved language learning light lineages linked males mammals maternal bonding mating mechanisms mind molecular motility mouse neurons numbers odor olfaction olfactory organisms origin oxytocin pair bonding patterns peptide persisting phage pheromone plasmids presented primates production prokaryotes prolactin proteins pseudogenes receptors recognition red algae relationship retroviruses rodents role seems sensory sequences sexual shrimp similar social bonding social brain species suggest T/A modules tion toxins transposons vertebrates viral virus visual Y chromosome