Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026
26:41
Perspectives on Neuroscience
Published on: July 31, 2007
Systems biology beyond networks: generating order from disorder through self-organization
K Saetzler1, C Sonnenschein, A M Soto
1School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. k.saetzler@ulster.ac.uk
Seminars in Cancer Biology
|May 17, 2011
Summary
Biological systems generate order, defying thermodynamics through self-organization. Current models in systems biology need improvement to capture complex interactions for understanding development and diseases like cancer.
Area of Science:
- Complex Systems Science
- Systems Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Biological systems exhibit self-organization, creating order from disorder, challenging thermodynamic laws.
- Inanimate matter can form complex structures from simple rules, a concept central to complex systems science.
- Multicellular organisms are viewed as self-organizing complex systems with dynamic, interdependent component interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight limitations in current systems biology modeling approaches.
- To advocate for improved computational and mathematical models that better reflect biological reality.
- To emphasize the need for integrating experimental data with theoretical models for a comprehensive understanding of biological processes.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing modeling paradigms in systems biology.
- Analysis of the shortcomings of reductionist, bottom-up approaches.
- Proposal for tightly coupled experimental and computational modeling strategies.
Main Results:
- Current network models in systems biology often neglect bidirectional interactions across scales.
- Existing models may operate in parameter spaces disconnected from biological reality.
- A gap exists in understanding emergent phenomena like tissue morphogenesis and cancer due to modeling limitations.
Conclusions:
- Improved, experimentally-grounded models are crucial for understanding self-organizing biological systems.
- Addressing modeling limitations will advance research in normal development and diseases such as cancer.
- Developing accessible biological model systems is key to validating and refining computational approaches.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Entropy within the Cell
A living cell's primary tasks of obtaining, transforming, and using energy to do work may seem simple. However, the second law of thermodynamics explains why these tasks are harder than they appear. None of the energy transfers in the universe are completely efficient. In every energy transfer, some amount of energy is lost in a form that is unusable. In most cases, this form is heat energy. Thermodynamically, heat energy is defined as the energy transferred from one system to another that is...
01:09Levels of Organization
Biological organization is the classification of biological structures, ranging from atoms at the bottom of the hierarchy to the Earth's biosphere. Each level of the hierarchy represents an increase in complexity that builds upon the previous level.Molecules Are Composed of Atoms, and Biomolecules Are Assembled from Molecules:The most basic levels include atoms, molecules, and biomolecules. Atoms, the smallest unit of ordinary matter, are composed of a nucleus and electrons. Molecules comprise...
02:26Protein Networks
An organism can have thousands of different proteins, and these proteins must cooperate to ensure the health of an organism. Proteins bind to other proteins and form complexes to carry out their functions. Many proteins interact with multiple other proteins creating a complex network of protein interactions.
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
02:26Protein Networks
An organism can have thousands of different proteins, and these proteins must cooperate to ensure the health of an organism. Proteins bind to other proteins and form complexes to carry out their functions. Many proteins interact with multiple other proteins creating a complex network of protein interactions.
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
02:39Entropy
Salt particles that have dissolved in water never spontaneously come back together in solution to reform solid particles. Moreover, a gas that has expanded in a vacuum remains dispersed and never spontaneously reassembles. The unidirectional nature of these phenomena is the result of a thermodynamic state function called entropy (S). Entropy is the measure of the extent to which the energy is dispersed throughout a system, or in other words, it is proportional to the degree of disorder of a...
00:53Second Law of Thermodynamics
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that entropy, or the amount of disorder in a system, increases each time energy is transferred or transformed. Each energy transfer results in a certain amount of energy that is lost—usually in the form of heat—that increases the disorder of the surroundings. This can also be demonstrated in a classic food web. Herbivores harvest chemical energy from plants and release heat and carbon dioxide into the environment. Carnivores harvest the chemical energy...