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Conceptual and Methodological Biases in Network Models
Author(s) -
Lamm Ehud
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05009.x
Subject(s) - evolvability , impossibility , computer science , perspective (graphical) , heredity , artificial intelligence , biology , evolutionary biology , genetics , political science , law
Many natural and biological phenomena can be depicted as networks. Theoretical and empirical analyses of networks have become prevalent. I discuss theoretical biases involved in the delineation of biological networks. The network perspective is shown to dissolve the distinction between regulatory architecture and regulatory state, consistent with the theoretical impossibility of distinguishing a priori between “program” and “data.” The evolutionary significance of the dynamics of trans‐generational and interorganism regulatory networks is explored and implications are presented for understanding the evolution of the biological categories development‐heredity, plasticity‐evolvability, and epigenetic‐genetic.