498 PAUL S. HENSHAW 



or inherent driving power which, as a minimum, is sufficient to keep it alive. 

 This situation is character izable by a formulation similar to or resembling 

 Ohm's Law as it applies to electric currents. Ohm's Law states that the 

 current (A) is directly proportional to the electromotive force or voltage (V) 

 provided by the source and inversely proportional to the resistance (R) of 

 the circuit: 



R 



In an ecosystem, A can be identified as adaptiveness or the ability to per- 

 form; V, as ecoforce or maximum performance potential; and R, as the 

 composite of deterrent influences — though at the present state of understand- 

 ing there is no basis for indicating a proportionality relationship, only a 

 ratio. On the adaptiveness scale (Fig. 1), the maximum value on the 

 scale would be the maximum achievable potential with respect to any 

 given function of any particular ecoentity at any given time. With 

 respect to whole mammalian organisms, this is the situation at the 

 moment of conception. During most of the life period of whole organisms 

 or parts of organisms, ecoforce (V) is something less than maximum, and 

 eventually it disappears at death. Throughout the course of life, V travels 

 the entire length of the fitness scale from top to bottom. Ecoforce is not 

 readily measurable, even assuming the ability to specify tangible units, 

 since it is defined as potential apart from the ever present deterrent forces 

 (R). Adaptiveness (A), on the other hand, is measurable (again assuming 

 tangible units), inasmuch as it is by definition determined by the strength 

 of R acting against the strength of V. In this picture, V is determined by 

 the interaction of numerous organizational forces and R by the interaction 

 of numerous disorganizational forces. Key to this concept is the driving 

 force, V, the same as in an electric current. The driving force (ecoforce) 

 appears to be determined largely by genetic organization fixed at conception. 

 Many models have been developed by analysts as an aid to thinking about 

 biologic mechanisms. The one I have just presented has been developed in 

 greater detail elsewhere (in preparation). It has the advantage of being 

 simple, gives a perspective view of the process being considered, aids in 

 defining requirements for dealing with the problem at hand, and provides 

 an approach for dealing with certain radiobiologic capability problems. 



Application 



The Ohm's Law adaptation, which states in effect that potential for per- 

 formance of any ecoentity (nervous system as well as other systems and in- 



