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[Emergence and biological complexity]
1Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS, Universités Paris 6 et Paris 7.
Journal De La Societe De Biologie
|June 2, 2006
Summary
Biological network organization determines information potential. Negative mutual information of integration indicates emergent complexity and novel functions, as seen in enzyme catalysis.
Area of Science:
- Systems biology
- Information theory
- Biophysics
Context:
- Biological networks exhibit organizational principles that dictate their information processing capabilities.
- Understanding system organization is crucial for deciphering emergent properties and functions.
Purpose:
- To quantitatively define and differentiate three types of biological network organization using mutual information of integration (I(X:Y)N).
- To establish criteria for identifying systems with emergent collective properties and novel functions.
Summary:
- Mutual information of integration (I(X:Y)N) quantifies network organization.
- I(X:Y)N = 0 indicates a mere collection of subsystems.
- I(X:Y)N > 0 signifies integration without significant collective properties.
- I(X:Y)N < 0 denotes complex systems with emergent properties, unpredictable from subsystems alone.
Impact:
- This framework allows for the identification of complex biological systems and their emergent functions.
- Provides a quantitative basis for understanding enzyme catalysis as an emergent property of protein-ligand interactions.
- Facilitates the study of novel functions arising from specific network organizations in biological systems.