Biocomplexity - Revision history

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	[[Image:Biocomplexity spiral.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|Biocomplexity spiral]]		[[Image:Biocomplexity spiral.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|Biocomplexity spiral]]
	''''Biocomplexity'''' is ~~a multidisciplinary field~~ that ~~examines and investigates emergent properties arising~~ from ~~the interaction~~ of ~~multiple~~ biological agents~~, phenomena, and systems~~, which may range in ~~spatiotemporal scales, biological relationships,interactions and levels~~ from molecules to ~~ecosystems~~. ~~Research in this area investigates~~ the ~~nonlinear or chaotic dynamics, unpredictable behavior, self-organization, and adaptation of living systems, aware that biological systems can display characteristics~~ that ~~cannot be understood through the study of~~ individual ~~properties alone~~.<ref>{{Cite journal \|last=Cottingham \|first=K \|title=Tackling Biocomplexity: The Role of People, Tools, and Scale: This article uses case studies from aquatic ecosystems to demonstrate that a key component of ~~a successful~~ biocomplexity ~~research project is~~ the ~~careful choice~~ of ~~people~~, ~~tools~~, ~~and scale to answer~~ the ~~questions under investigation~~ \|~~url= \|journal=BioScience \|publication-date=2002 \|volume=52 \|issue=9 \|pages=793–799 \|doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0793:TBTROP~~]~~2.0.CO;2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal \|last=Colwell \|first=Rita \|title=Balancing the biocomplexity~~ of the planet's living systems: A twenty-first century task for science. \|url=https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/52/9/793-799/248743 \|access-date=2023-07-25 \|website=academic.oup.com \|doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[~~0793:tbtrop~~]2.0.co;2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal \|last1=Pickett \|first1=S. T. A. \|last2=Cadenasso \|first2=M. L. \|last3=Grove \|first3=J. M. \|date=2005-04-01 \|title=Biocomplexity in Coupled Natural–Human Systems: A Multidimensional Framework \|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-004-0098-7 \|journal=Ecosystems \|language=en \|volume=8 \|issue=3 \|pages=225–232 \|doi=10.1007/s10021-004-0098-7 \|bibcode=2005Ecosy...8..225P \|issn=1435-0629\|url-access=subscription }}</ref>		'''Biocomplexity''' is the study of complex structures and behaviors that arise from nonlinear interactions of active biological agents, which may range in scale from molecules to cells to organisms. Almost every biological system exhibits complexity - [[emergent properties]] where the ensemble possesses capabilities that its individual agents lack. Classical examples of biocomplexity include the behavior of [[molecular motor]]s during [[DNA transcription]], genetic and metabolic networks within cells, the interacting [[Cytoskeleton#The Eukaryotic Cytoskeleton\|filament]]s of the [[cytoskeleton]], which allow the cell to move, the differentiation, organization and movement of cells during embryonic development, the function of the networks of neurons which compose the brain and the schooling of fish or birds.

	~~Biocomplexity sheds light on the interconnectedness of life~~, ~~recognizing that~~ the ~~behavior of biological entities emerges from the intricate interplay of countless biotic and abiotic factors. This understanding enables us~~ to ~~grasp how living systems can exhibit properties that go beyond~~ the ~~mere sum of their elements~~, opening up new possibilities for addressing real-world challenges in diverse fields such as medicine, ecology, and biotechnology.<ref>{{Cite journal \|last1=MICHENER \|first1=WILLIAM K. \|last2=BAERWALD \|first2=THOMAS J. \|last3=FIRTH \|first3=PENELOPE \|last4=PALMER \|first4=MARGARET A. \|last5=ROSENBERGER \|first5=JAMES L. \|last6=SANDLIN \|first6=ELIZABETH A. \|last7=ZIMMERMAN \|first7=HERMAN \|date=2001 \|title=Defining and Unraveling Biocomplexity \|journal=BioScience \|volume=51 \|issue=12 \|pages=1018 \|doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[1018:daub]2.0.co;2 \|issn=0006-3568\|doi-access=free }}</ref>

	~~To answer questions about system resilience, self-~~organization and ~~adaptation~~, new modelling approaches have been developed and researchers are transitioning to more quantitative methods in order to better understand and analyze complex human and natural systems. These approaches focus on questions about system properties and interactions that create self-organizing or emergent behavior, and the ~~circumstances in~~ which ~~unexpected system responses may occur. Analyzing~~ the ~~state of these systems can provide insight into system resilience, vulnerability,~~ and management.<ref>{{Cite journal \|last1=Bolte \|first1=John P. \|last2=Hulse \|first2=David W. \|last3=Gregory \|first3=Stanley V. \|last4=Smith \|first4=Court \|date=2007-05-01 \|title=Modeling biocomplexity – actors, landscapes and alternative futures \|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364815206000296 \|journal=Environmental Modelling & Software \|series=The Implications of ~~Complexity for Integrated Resources \|language=en \|volume=22 \|issue=5 \|pages=570–579 \|doi=10~~.~~1016/j.envsoft.2005.12.033 \|bibcode=2007EnvMS..22..570B \|issn=1364-8152\|url-access=subscription }}</ref>~~

	Primarily as a result of funding policy changes at the American [[National Science Foundation]] around 2000, some researchers have begun to use the term biocomplexity in a narrower sense to denote the [[complexity\|complex]] behavioral, biological, social, chemical, and physical interactions of [[life\|living]] [[organism]]s with their [[natural environment\|environment]]. This relatively new subfield of biocomplexity encompasses other domains such as [[biodiversity]] and [[ecology]].		Primarily as a result of funding policy changes at the American [[National Science Foundation]] around 2000, some researchers have begun to use the term biocomplexity in a narrower sense to denote the [[complexity\|complex]] behavioral, biological, social, chemical, and physical interactions of [[life\|living]] [[organism]]s with their [[natural environment\|environment]]. This relatively new subfield of biocomplexity encompasses other domains such as [[biodiversity]] and [[ecology]].
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	* {{cite web \| url=http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/extreme2003/mission/biocomplexity/ \| title=What Exactly is Biocomplexity? \| publisher=University of Delaware, College of Marine Studies and the Sea Grant College Program \| date=2003 \| url-status=dead \| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722023949/http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/extreme2003/mission/biocomplexity/ \| archivedate=2012-07-22 }}		* {{cite web \| url=http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/extreme2003/mission/biocomplexity/ \| title=What Exactly is Biocomplexity? \| publisher=University of Delaware, College of Marine Studies and the Sea Grant College Program \| date=2003 \| url-status=dead \| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722023949/http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/extreme2003/mission/biocomplexity/ \| archivedate=2012-07-22 }}
	* {{cite web \| url=http://www.nd.edu/~icsb/ \| title=The Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Biocomplexity \| publisher=University of Notre Dame \| url-status=dead \| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924113759/http://www.nd.edu/%7Eicsb/ \| archivedate=2012-09-24 }}		* {{cite web \| url=http://www.nd.edu/~icsb/ \| title=The Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Biocomplexity \| publisher=University of Notre Dame \| url-status=dead \| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924113759/http://www.nd.edu/%7Eicsb/ \| archivedate=2012-09-24 }}
	* {{cite web \| url=~~http~~://www.biocomplexity.indiana.edu/ \| title=The Biocomplexity Institute \| publisher=The Trustees of Indiana University}}		* {{cite web \| url=https://www.biocomplexity.indiana.edu/ \| title=The Biocomplexity Institute \| publisher=The Trustees of Indiana University}}

	==External links==		==External links==

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[[Image:Biocomplexity spiral.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Biocomplexity spiral]]
''''Biocomplexity'''' is a multidisciplinary field that examines and investigates emergent properties arising from the interaction of multiple biological agents, phenomena, and systems, which may range in spatiotemporal scales, biological relationships,interactions and levels from molecules to ecosystems. Research in this area investigates the nonlinear or chaotic dynamics, unpredictable behavior, self-organization, and adaptation of living systems, aware that biological systems can display characteristics that cannot be understood through the study of individual properties alone.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cottingham |first=K |title=Tackling Biocomplexity: The Role of People, Tools, and Scale: This article uses case studies from aquatic ecosystems to demonstrate that a key component of a successful biocomplexity research project is the careful choice of people, tools, and scale to answer the questions under investigation |url= |journal=BioScience |publication-date=2002 |volume=52 |issue=9 |pages=793–799 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0793:TBTROP]2.0.CO;2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Colwell |first=Rita |title=Balancing the biocomplexity of the planet's living systems: A twenty-first century task for science. |url=https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/52/9/793-799/248743 |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=academic.oup.com |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0793:tbtrop]2.0.co;2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pickett |first1=S. T. A. |last2=Cadenasso |first2=M. L. |last3=Grove |first3=J. M. |date=2005-04-01 |title=Biocomplexity in Coupled Natural–Human Systems: A Multidimensional Framework |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-004-0098-7 |journal=Ecosystems |language=en |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=225–232 |doi=10.1007/s10021-004-0098-7 |bibcode=2005Ecosy...8..225P |issn=1435-0629|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Biocomplexity sheds light on the interconnectedness of life, recognizing that the behavior of biological entities emerges from the intricate interplay of countless biotic and abiotic factors. This understanding enables us to grasp how living systems can exhibit properties that go beyond the mere sum of their elements, opening up new possibilities for addressing real-world challenges in diverse fields such as medicine, ecology, and biotechnology.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=MICHENER |first1=WILLIAM K. |last2=BAERWALD |first2=THOMAS J. |last3=FIRTH |first3=PENELOPE |last4=PALMER |first4=MARGARET A. |last5=ROSENBERGER |first5=JAMES L. |last6=SANDLIN |first6=ELIZABETH A. |last7=ZIMMERMAN |first7=HERMAN |date=2001 |title=Defining and Unraveling Biocomplexity |journal=BioScience |volume=51 |issue=12 |pages=1018 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[1018:daub]2.0.co;2 |issn=0006-3568|doi-access=free }}</ref>

To answer questions about system resilience, self-organization and adaptation, new modelling approaches have been developed and researchers are transitioning to more quantitative methods in order to better understand and analyze complex human and natural systems. These approaches focus on questions about system properties and interactions that create self-organizing or emergent behavior, and the circumstances in which unexpected system responses may occur. Analyzing the state of these systems can provide insight into system resilience, vulnerability, and management.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bolte |first1=John P. |last2=Hulse |first2=David W. |last3=Gregory |first3=Stanley V. |last4=Smith |first4=Court |date=2007-05-01 |title=Modeling biocomplexity – actors, landscapes and alternative futures |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364815206000296 |journal=Environmental Modelling & Software |series=The Implications of Complexity for Integrated Resources |language=en |volume=22 |issue=5 |pages=570–579 |doi=10.1016/j.envsoft.2005.12.033 |bibcode=2007EnvMS..22..570B |issn=1364-8152|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Primarily as a result of funding policy changes at the American [[National Science Foundation]] around 2000, some researchers have begun to use the term biocomplexity in a narrower sense to denote the [[complexity|complex]] behavioral, biological, social, chemical, and physical interactions of [[life|living]] [[organism]]s with their [[natural environment|environment]]. This relatively new subfield of biocomplexity encompasses other domains such as [[biodiversity]] and [[ecology]].

==See also==
{{portal|Biology|Ecology}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Degeneracy (biology)|Biological degeneracy]]
*[[Complex systems]]
*[[Evolution of complexity]]
*[[Gaia hypothesis]]
*[[Systems biology]]
*[[System theory]]
{{div col end}}
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090825160136/http://thesaurus.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=578&&PageID=1657&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true]. Biological Informatics Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. via [[archive.org]]
* {{cite web | url=http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/extreme2003/mission/biocomplexity/ | title=What Exactly is Biocomplexity? | publisher=University of Delaware, College of Marine Studies and the Sea Grant College Program | date=2003 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722023949/http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/extreme2003/mission/biocomplexity/ | archivedate=2012-07-22 }}
* {{cite web | url=http://www.nd.edu/~icsb/ | title=The Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Biocomplexity | publisher=University of Notre Dame | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924113759/http://www.nd.edu/%7Eicsb/ | archivedate=2012-09-24 }}
* {{cite web | url=http://www.biocomplexity.indiana.edu/ | title=The Biocomplexity Institute | publisher=The Trustees of Indiana University}}

==External links==
* [https://knb.ecoinformatics.org The Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070812221517/http://www.bio.vu.nl/grc2000/biocomplexity.html {{spaced ndash}} Homepage on the journal Biocomplexity (publication cancelled) by its editor Hans V. Westerhoff] via archive.org

[[Category:Ecology terminology]]
[[Category:Emergence]]