Title
Ein Beitrag zu einer Theorie lebender Zellen (A Contribution towards a Theory of Living Cells)
Abstract
The following article describes systems biology as a merger of systems theory with cell biology. The role of modelling in the description of living cells is discussed. As an example, an abstract multiple-level model of a cell is developed. It is shown that a level of elementary cellular processes, realising cell functions, and a coordination-level are sufficient to create a system that is closed with respect to efficient causation. This form of self-organisation is thereby considered as basic criterion by which living systems, such as cells and organisms, are distinguished from machines and computers. Die causal closure of the cell is possible through the definition of the cell model as a cartesian closed category. It follows the conclusion that computer simulations of differential equations may be able to reproduce cellular processes but not this aspect of causal closure. The article ends with a discussion about the role of systems theory in the life sciences.
Year
DOI
Venue
2008
10.1524/auto.2008.0707
AT-AUTOMATISIERUNGSTECHNIK
Keywords
Field
DocType
systems theory,cell biology,systems biology,processes,function,self-organisation,causality
Systems biology,Control engineering,Engineering,Epistemology,Self organisation
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
56
5
0178-2312
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
0
Authors
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Olaf Wolkenhauer133040.25
Hofmeyr J-H2883124.40