ABSTRACT
Most new mechanists agree that mechanisms are made of two kinds of components (see Chapter 1). The first kind of components are material objects that are variously called entities (Machamer, Darden and Craver (MDC) 2000), parts (Glennan 1996, 2002), or component parts (Bechtel 2006, 2008). Examples include neurotransmitters, muscle fibers, and genes. The second kind of components are variously called activities (MDC 2000), interactions (Glennan 1996, 2002), or operations (Bechtel 2006, 2008). They are what entities do and what produces change (MDC 2000). Examples include binding, contracting, and being transcribed. I will use the term “component” to refer to these two kinds of things that make up or compose mechanisms. 1
