Barlow P W
University of Bristol, UK.
Acta Biotheor. 1992 Dec;40(4):321-8. doi: 10.1007/BF00046331.
The levels that compose biological hierarchies each have their own energetic, spatial and temporal structure. Indeed, it is the discontinuity in energy relationships between levels, as well as the similarity of sub-systems that support them, that permits levels to be defined. In this paper, the temporal structure of living hierarchies, in particular that pertaining to Human society, is examined. Consideration is given to the period defining the lifespan of entities at each level and to a periodic event considered fundamental to the maintenance of that level. The ratio between the duration of these two periods is found to be approximately 2.5 x 10(4). A similar relationship is found when lower, non-living levels of molecules and atoms are considered. This suggests that there is a constant factor of amplification between analogous periodic events at successive levels of the Human hierarchy.
构成生物层次结构的各个层次都有其自身的能量、空间和时间结构。实际上,正是层次之间能量关系的不连续性以及支持它们的子系统的相似性,才使得层次得以界定。在本文中,我们研究了生命层次结构的时间结构,特别是与人类社会相关的时间结构。我们考虑了定义每个层次实体寿命的时期,以及被认为对维持该层次至关重要的周期性事件。发现这两个时期的持续时间之比约为2.5×10⁴。当考虑分子和原子等较低的非生命层次时,也发现了类似的关系。这表明在人类层次结构的连续层次上,类似的周期性事件之间存在一个恒定的放大因子。