Part 1. System Modeling in Cellular Biology from concepts to nuts and bolts.

Which type of feedback loop is typically responsible for regulation and central to homeostasis in biological systems?

Negative feedback

What is a characteristic of positive feedback loops?

They cause instability

What is a simple model system that exhibits positive feedback?

Polya urn

What kind of behavior can result from positive feedback in a resource-limited environment?

Chaotic behavior Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, which type of reasoning is best suited for data-rich but hypothesis-poor fields?

Inductive reasoning Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, what is the intellectual significance of prediction in science?

Prediction is used to support the correctness of a hypothesis Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, what is reductionism?

The process of breaking down complex systems into their constituent parts Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, why does reductionism ultimately fail in biology?

Biological systems are inherently complex Signup and view all the answers

Which term is used to describe the phenomenon where the behavior of a whole system is difficult to understand in terms of basic laws and the initial conditions of the system elements?

Emergence Signup and view all the answers

What is the main limitation of a reductionist approach in explaining many systems of interest?

The assumption that the behavior of constituent parts can be fully understood Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of making models of biological systems and processes?

To simulate and predict properties of biological systems Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between chaotic and stable regions in systems involving interacting elements?

Chaotic and stable regions coexist within systems involving interacting elements Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the relationship between simulation and prediction in modeling?

Simulation is a type of prediction Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the main reasons for modeling a biological system?

To analyze which parts of the system contribute most to desired properties Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean for a model to accurately represent the behavior of a 'real' system?

The model might be accurate, but it is not certain Signup and view all the answers

What is one advantage of using numerical modeling in biology?

It allows for rapid analysis of the effects of manipulating experimental conditions Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, what is the iterative cycle between the world of ideas and the world of observations or data?

The cycle involves using data to inform cogitations that feed into the next set of experiments. Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, what is the role of modeling in biology?

Modeling includes various types of models such as diagrams, laws, graphs, plots, relationships, chemical formulae, and images. Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, what is the difference between hypothetico-deductive analysis and inductive reasoning?

Hypothetico-deductive analysis is more secure than inductive reasoning. Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, why has the reductionist and hypothesis-driven agenda been less fruitful in biology?

The reductionist and hypothesis-driven agenda has failed to record the existence and function of many genes. Signup and view all the answers

Which technique is designed to indicate to the experimenter which parameters must be known with the highest precision?

Sensitivity analysis Signup and view all the answers

What is the equivalent of sensitivity analysis in pharmacophore screening?

QSAR analysis Signup and view all the answers

Which type of analysis seeks to analyze systems in comparatively general or high-level terms?

Top-down analysis Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of hypothesis generation in modeling?

To predict interesting behavior Signup and view all the answers

Which technique can reduce the reliance on in vivo animal/human experimentation?

Modeling Signup and view all the answers

In which field is the analysis of multiple modulations of enzymatic properties important?

Metabolic engineering Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about the use of models in biology according to the text?

Models are abstractions of reality Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of "model organisms" in biology?

They are organisms that are similar to many other organisms Signup and view all the answers

Which type of model has been outside the mainstream in molecular biology?

Quantitative mathematical models Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of developing mathematical models in biology?

To explain and understand biological systems Signup and view all the answers