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Will systems biology offer new holistic paradigms to life sciences?
Filippo Conti1, Maria Cristina Valerio, Joseph P Zbilut
1Chemistry Department, University of Rome, 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy.
Systems and Synthetic Biology
|November 13, 2008
Summary
Biological systems exhibit complexity by blending random and predictable features. Systems biology must capture this interplay of local randomness and global order to advance biological understanding.
Area of Science:
- Complex Systems Biology
- Theoretical Biology
Background:
- Biological systems integrate both stochastic (random) and deterministic (predictable) characteristics.
- Complexity is often defined by this blend, distinguishing systems from purely random (ideal gas) or purely deterministic (frictionless pendulum) models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To articulate the core challenge and opportunity for systems biology.
- To define the essential character of biological complexity that systems biology must address.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of complex systems.
- Philosophical commentary on the nature of biological complexity.
Main Results:
- Biological complexity arises from the interplay between local stochasticity and globally ordered collective behaviors.
- This blend is the key characteristic that systems biology needs to capture.
Conclusions:
- Systems biology's impact hinges on its ability to model and understand the generation of global order from local randomness.
- Successfully capturing this blend is crucial for systems biology to significantly impact modern biological sciences.
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