This new volume on Biological Invasions deals with both plants and animals, differing from previous books by extending from the level of individual species to an ecosystem and global level. Topics of highest societal relevance, such as the impact of genetically modified organisms, are interlinked with more conventional ecological aspects, including biodiversity. The combination of these approaches is new and makes compelling reading for researchers and environmentalists.
Black & white print. Concepts of Biology is designed for the typical introductory biology course for nonmajors, covering standard scope and sequence requirements. The text includes interesting applications and conveys the major themes of biology, with content that is meaningful and easy to understand. The book is designed to demonstrate biology concepts and to promote scientific literacy.
Networked systems are all around us. The accumulated evidence of systems as complex as a cell cannot be fully understood by studying only their isolated constituents, giving rise to a new area of interest in research OCo the study of complex networks . In a broad sense, biological networks have been one of the most studied networks, and the field has benefited from many important contributions. By understanding and modeling the structure of a biological network, a better perception of its dynamical and functional behavior is to be expected. This unique book compiles the most relevant results and novel insights provided by network theory in the biological sciences, ranging from the structure and dynamics of the brain to cellular and protein networks and to population-level biology. Sample Chapter(s). Chapter 1: Introduction (61 KB). Contents: Networks at the Cellular Level: The Structural Network Properties of Biological Systems (M Brilli & P Li); Dynamics of Multicellular Synthetic Gene Networks (E Ullner et al.); Boolean Networks in Inference and Dynamic Modeling of Biological Systems at the Molecular and Physiological Level (J Thakar & R Albert); Complexity of Boolean Dynamics in Simple Models of Signaling Networks and in Real Genetic Networks (A D az-Guilera & R ulvarez-Buylla); Geometry and Topology of Folding Landscapes (L Bongini & L Casetti); Elastic Network Models for Biomolecular Dynamics: Theory and Application to Membrane Proteins and Viruses (T R Lezon et al.); Metabolic Networks (M C Palumbo et al.); Brain Networks: The Human Brain Network (O Sporns); Brain Network Analysis from High-Resolution EEG Signals (F De Vico Fallani & F Babiloni); An Optimization Approach to the Structure of the Neuronal layout of C elegans (A Arenas et al.); Cultured Neuronal Networks Express Complex Patterns of Activity and Morphological Memory (N Raichman et al.); Synchrony and Precise Timing in Complex Neural Networks (R-M Memmesheimer & M Timme); Networks at the Individual and Population Levels: Ideas for Moving Beyond Structure to Dynamics of Ecological Networks (D B Stouffer et al.); Evolutionary Models for Simple Biosystems (F Bagnoli); Evolution of Cooperation in Adaptive Social Networks (S Van Segbroeck et al.); From Animal Collectives and Complex Networks to Decentralized Motion Control Strategies (A Buscarino et al.); Interplay of Network State and Topology in Epidemic Dynamics (T Gross). Readership: Advanced undergraduates, graduate students and researchers interested in the study of complex networks in a wide range of biological processes and systems."
This authored monograph introduces a genuinely theoretical approach to biology. Starting point is the investigation of empirical biological scaling including their variability, which is found in the literature, e.g. allometric relationships, fractals, etc. The book then analyzes two different aspects of biological time: first, a supplementary temporal dimension to accommodate proper biological rhythms; secondly, the concepts of protension and retention as a means of local organization of time in living organisms. Moreover, the book investigates the role of symmetry in biology, in view of its ubiquitous importance in physics. In relation with the notion of extended critical transitions, the book proposes that organisms and their evolution can be characterized by continued symmetry changes, which accounts for the irreducibility of their historicity and variability. The authors also introduce the concept of anti-entropy as a measure for the potential of variability, being equally understood as alterations in symmetry. By this, the book provides a mathematical account of Gould's analysis of phenotypic complexity with respect to biological evolution. The target audience primarily comprises researchers interested in new theoretical approaches to biology, from physical, biological or philosophical backgrounds, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students who want to enter this field.
In many biological models it is necessary to allow the rates of change of the variables to depend on the past history, rather than only the current values, of the variables. The models may require discrete lags, with the use of delay-differential equations, or distributed lags, with the use of integro-differential equations. In these lecture notes I discuss the reasons for including lags, especially distributed lags, in biological models. These reasons may be inherent in the system studied, or may be the result of simplifying assumptions made in the model used. I examine some of the techniques available for studying the solution of the equations. A large proportion of the material presented relates to a special method that can be applied to a particular class of distributed lags. This method uses an extended set of ordinary differential equations. I examine the local stability of equilibrium points, and the existence and frequency of periodic solutions. I discuss the qualitative effects of lags, and how these differ according to the choice of discrete or distributed lag. The models studied are drawn from the population dynamiCS of single species (logistic growth, the chemostat) and of interacting pairs of species (predation, mutualism), from cell population dynamiCS (haemopoiesis) and from biochemical kinetics (the Goodwin oscillator). The last chapter is devoted to a population model employing difference equations. All these models include non-linear terms.