PART III 

 DETERMINATION OF INFORMATION MEASURES 



It is possible (as shown by several papers in this volume) to apply information 

 theory to biology without introducing any actual information measures. Indeed, 

 if one considers that it is very difficult to estimate information measures for 

 living systems, and that the resulting measures are of an irreducibly relative 

 nature, one might wonder whether it is worth-while to take such measures at 

 all. However, it is difficult if not impossible to validate firmly the application of 

 information theory without critical tests based on quantitative measurements; 

 moreover, one hopes to discover lawful relations in the results of the measure- 

 ments themselves. So, attempts are being made to estimate information contents 

 associated with various biological structures and functions. All the papers in 

 this part are chiefly concerned with such estimations; some from a general 

 point of view, some with regard to particular systems, ranging in complexity 

 all the way from simple molecules to whole men. 



H. Q. 



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