How do processes interact across levels of biological organization? ...

​Biological systems are organized in a size-hierarchy, from sub-molecular, via cells, tissues, and organisms to ecosystems and biomes. Different entities within each level of organization interact at varying spatial and temporal scales, and their interactions determine static as well as dynamic prop...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cavigelli, Sonia, Konow, Nicolai, Leips, Jeff, Lemke, Dawn, Xiang, Jenny
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Reintegrating Biology 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.13016/m2j8nk-kdrz
http://mdsoar.org/handle/11603/17452
Description
Summary:​Biological systems are organized in a size-hierarchy, from sub-molecular, via cells, tissues, and organisms to ecosystems and biomes. Different entities within each level of organization interact at varying spatial and temporal scales, and their interactions determine static as well as dynamic properties of the system. However, interactions occurring within a given level influence, and are influenced by, interactions that occur at many other levels of organization, and these together determine the emergent properties of biological systems. For example, the introduction of rabbits to Australia and sub-Antarctic islands in the 1800s had cascading effects across multiple scales throughout the ecosystem [1]. Similarly, but at different scales, muscle stretch injury has cascading effects that, in combination with organismal behavior, environmental factors [2], and drug therapies might determine the susceptibility of muscle once recovered to re-injury [3]. Such examples illustrate the complex cascading effects of ...