Functional anatomy: a taxonomic proposal.
It is argued that medical science requires a classificatory system that (a) puts functions in the taxonomic center and (b) does justice ontologically to the difference between the processes which are the realizations of functions and the objects which are their bearers. We propose formulae for constructing such a system and describe some of its benefits. The arguments are general enough to be of interest to all the life sciences.
Johansson
Ingvar
I
Institute for Formal Ontology and Medical Information Science, University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Postfach 151150, D-66041, Germany. ingvar.johansson@ifomis.uni-saarland.de
Smith
Barry
B
Munn
Katherine
K
Tsikolia
Nikoloz
N
Elsner
Kathleen
K
Ernst
Dominikus
D
Siebert
Dirk
D
D000715:Anatomy / Q000145:classification*; D000818:Animals; D001690:Biological Science Disciplines; D002965:Classification; D006801:Humans; D010684:Philosophy; D010829:Physiological Phenomena