Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
From Physiology, Genomes, Systems, and
Self-Organization to Systems Biology: The
Historical Roots of a Twenty-First Century
Approach to Complexity
M.A. Aon, D. Lloyd, and V. Saks
Abstract Systems Biology represents a new paradigm aiming at a whole organism-
level understanding of biological phenomena, emphasizing interconnections and
functional interrelationships rather than component parts. Historically, the roots of
Systems Biology are multiple and of a diverse nature, comprising theoretical and
conceptual developments, mathematical and modeling tools, and comprehensive
analytical methodologies aimed at listing molecular components.
As a systemic approach, modern Systems Biology is deeply rooted in Integrative
Physiology from which it inherits two big foundational principles: (1) a
non-reductionist, integrative, view and (2) the capability of defining the context
within which genes and their mutations will find meaning.
1.1 From Integrative Physiology to Systems Biology
Yet, biological questions do not end in the gene at all: they start there. (Ball
2004
)
(
) physiology, or whatever we wish to call that part of the science of the logic of life that
deals with bodily function and mechanism, will not only continue to exist as an identifiable
body of knowledge: it will be indispensable to the proper interpretation of molecular
biology itself. (Noble and Boyd
1993
)
...
M.A. Aon (
*
)
School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205l, USA
e-mail:
maon1@jhmi.edu
D. Lloyd
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Main Building, Museum Avenue, Cathays Park,
Cardiff CF 10 3AT, Wales, UK
V. Saks
INSERM U1055 Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Bioenergetics, Joseph Fourier
University, Grenoble, France
Laboratory of Bioenergetics, National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Tallinn,
Estonia
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