Fractals in Biology and Medicine

Fractals in Biology and Medicine
Author: Gabriele A. Losa
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2006-03-30
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 3764374128

This volume is number four in a series of proceedings volumes from the International Symposia on Fractals in Biology and Medicine in Ascona, Switzerland which have been inspired by the work of BenoƮt Mandelbrot seeking to extend the concepts towards the life sciences. It highlights the potential that fractal geometry offers for elucidating and explaining the complex make-up of cells, tissues and biological organisms either in normal or in pathological conditions.

Philosophy of Systems Biology

Philosophy of Systems Biology
Author: Sara Green
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2016-12-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319470000

The emergence of systems biology raises many fascinating questions: What does it mean to take a systems approach to problems in biology? To what extent is the use of mathematical and computational modelling changing the life sciences? How does the availability of big data influence research practices? What are the major challenges for biomedical research in the years to come? This book addresses such questions of relevance not only to philosophers and biologists but also to readers interested in the broader implications of systems biology for science and society. The book features reflections and original work by experts from across the disciplines including systems biologists, philosophers, and interdisciplinary scholars investigating the social and educational aspects of systems biology. In response to the same set of questions, the experts develop and defend their personal perspectives on the distinctive character of systems biology and the challenges that lie ahead. Readers are invited to engage with different views on the questions addressed, and may explore numerous themes relating to the philosophy of systems biology. This edited work will appeal to scholars and all levels, from undergraduates to researchers, and to those interested in a variety of scholarly approaches such as systems biology, mathematical and computational modelling, cell and molecular biology, genomics, systems theory, and of course, philosophy of biology.

Biological Robustness

Biological Robustness
Author: Marta Bertolaso
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2019-01-04
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 3030011984

This volume reviews examples and notions of robustness at several levels of biological organization. It tackles many philosophical and conceptual issues and casts an outlook on the future challenges of robustness studies in the context of a practice-oriented philosophy of science. The focus of discussion is on concrete case studies. These highlight the necessity of a level-dependent description of robust biological behaviors.Experts from the neurosciences, biochemistry, ecology, biology, and the history and the philosophy of life sciences provide a multiplex perspective on the topic. Contributions span from protein folding, to cell-level robustness, to organismal and developmental robustness, to sensorimotor systems, up to the robustness of ecological systems.Several chapters detail neurobiological case-studies. The brain, the poster child of plasticity in biology, offers multiple examples of robustness. Neurobiology explores the importance of temporal organization and multiscalarity in making this robustness-with-plasticity possible. The discussion also includes structures well beyond the brain, such as muscles and the complex feedback loops involved in the peculiar robustness of music perception. Overall, the volume grounds general reflections upon concrete case studies, opening to all the life sciences but also to non-biological and bio-inspired fields such as post-modern engineering. It will appeal to researchers, students, as well as non-expert readers.

Systems Biology

Systems Biology
Author: Edda Klipp
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 504
Release: 2016-03-28
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 3527675663

This advanced textbook is tailored for an introductory course in Systems Biology and is well-suited for biologists as well as engineers and computer scientists. It comes with student-friendly reading lists and a companion website featuring a short exam prep version of the book and educational modeling programs. The text is written in an easily accessible style and includes numerous worked examples and study questions in each chapter. For this edition, a section on medical systems biology has been included.

New Directions in Ecological Physiology

New Directions in Ecological Physiology
Author: Martin E. Feder
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 380
Release: 1987
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780521349383

This 1988 book outlines conceptual approaches to the study of physiological adaptation in animals.

Physics and Mathematics of the Nervous System

Physics and Mathematics of the Nervous System
Author: M. Conrad
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 592
Release: 2013-03-08
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 3642808859

This volume is the record and product of the Summer School on the Physics and Mathematics of the Nervous System, held at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste from August 21-31, 1973, and jointly organized by the Institute for Information Sciences, University of Tlibingen and by the Centre. The school served to bring biologists, physicists and mathemati cians together to exchange ideas about the nervous system and brain, and also to introduce young scientists to the field. The program, attended by more than a hundred scientists, was interdisciplinary both in character and participation. The primary support for the school was provided by the Volkswagen Foundation of West Germany. We are particularly indebted to Drs. G. Gambke, M. -L Zarnitz, and H. Penschuck of the Foundation for their in terest in and help with the project. The school also received major support from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste and its sponsoring agencies, including the use of its excellent facili ties. We are deeply indebted to Professor A. Salam for his kind co operation and also to Professor P. Budini, Dr. A. M. Hamende, and to the many members of the Centre staff whose hospitality and efficiency con tributed so much to the success of the school. We are pleased to acknow ledge the generous ~id and cooperation of the University of Tlibingen and would like to thank its President, A.