Explaining a complex living system: dynamics, multi-scaling and emergence

被引:77
作者
Cohen, Irun R.
Harel, David [1 ]
机构
[1] Weizmann Inst Sci, Dept Immunol, IL-76100 Rehovot, Israel
[2] Weizmann Inst Sci, Dept Comp Sci & Appl Math, IL-76100 Rehovot, Israel
关键词
biological modelling; reactive animation; emergence properties; reactive system;
D O I
10.1098/rsif.2006.0173
中图分类号
O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要
Complex living systems are difficult to understand. They obey the laws of physics and chemistry, but these basic laws do not explain their behaviour; each component part of a complex system participates in many different interactions and these interactions generate unforeseeable, emergent properties. For example, microscopic interactions between non-living molecules, at the macroscopic level, produce a living cell. Here we discuss how to explain such complexity in the format of a dynamic model that is mathematically precise, yet understandable. Precise, computer-aided modelling will make it easier to formulate novel experiments and attain understanding and control of key biological processes.
引用
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页码:175 / 182
页数:8
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