The fitness of the environment
Encyclopedia
The Fitness of the Environment: An Inquiry into the Biological Significance of the Properties of Matter is a 1913
(reissued 1970) book
written by Lawrence Joseph Henderson
. In the book, Henderson discusses the importance of water
and the environment
with a respect to living things
. The main thesis of the book is that life depends entirely on the very specific environmental conditions on Earth
, especially with regard to the prevalence and properties of water. For example water's specific heat capacity acts as a buffer to maintain temperatures needed for life, while its polarity
allows it to act as a solvent for constituents ranging from ionic compounds to large protein
molecules with only small polar regions.
Henderson was also the author of The Order of Nature (1917).
1913 in literature
The year 1913 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Husayn Haykal publishes the first modern Egyptian novel Zaynab.-New books:* Alain-Fournier — Le Grand Meaulnes* L...
(reissued 1970) book
Science book
A science book is a work of nonfiction, usually written by a scientist, researcher, or professor like Stephen Hawking , or sometimes by a non-scientist such as Bill Bryson...
written by Lawrence Joseph Henderson
Lawrence Joseph Henderson
Lawrence Joseph Henderson was a physiologist, chemist, biologist, philosopher, and sociologist. He became one of the leading biochemists of the first decades of the 20th century.Lawrence Henderson graduated from Harvard College in 1898 and from Harvard Medical School in 1902, receiving the M. D...
. In the book, Henderson discusses the importance of water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
and the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
with a respect to living things
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
. The main thesis of the book is that life depends entirely on the very specific environmental conditions on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, especially with regard to the prevalence and properties of water. For example water's specific heat capacity acts as a buffer to maintain temperatures needed for life, while its polarity
Chemical polarity
In chemistry, polarity refers to a separation of electric charge leading to a molecule or its chemical groups having an electric dipole or multipole moment. Polar molecules interact through dipole–dipole intermolecular forces and hydrogen bonds. Molecular polarity is dependent on the difference in...
allows it to act as a solvent for constituents ranging from ionic compounds to large protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
molecules with only small polar regions.
Henderson was also the author of The Order of Nature (1917).
External links
- The Fitness of the Environment at Google Books.