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A Unifying Framework for Understanding Biological Structures and Functions Across Levels of Biological Organization.

M A Herman1, B R Aiello2, J D DeLong1

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0118, USA.

Integrative and Comparative Biology
|July 24, 2021
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Summary

This study defines biological structure and function across all life levels. It distinguishes intrinsic structures under selection from emergent structures, proposing a framework to understand their roles in biological organization.

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Area of Science:

  • Biology
  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • The structure-function relationship is fundamental to understanding life.
  • Biological organization spans multiple levels, from molecules to ecosystems.
  • A unified framework is needed to integrate diverse biological approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide generalizable definitions of structure and function applicable across all biological levels.
  • To distinguish between intrinsic and emergent structures and their relationship to natural selection.
  • To propose a unified framework for understanding structure-function relationships, particularly for intrinsic structures.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis and definition development.
  • Distinction between organismal-level (intrinsic) and supra-organismal (emergent) structures.
  • Framework proposal for analyzing intrinsic structure-function relationships.

Main Results:

  • Introduced definitions for structure and function applicable across all biological scales.
  • Differentiated intrinsic structures (under selection) from emergent structures (aggregate properties).
  • Proposed a framework to define unknown functions of intrinsic structures.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed definitions and framework offer a holistic approach to biological organization.
  • Understanding intrinsic and emergent structures is key to a comprehensive view of life.
  • This unified perspective facilitates interdisciplinary research in biology.