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Biological Robustness pp 163–173Cite as

The Robustness/Sensitivity Paradox: An Essay on the Importance of Phase Separation

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Part of the book series: History, Philosophy and Theory of the Life Sciences ((HPTL,volume 23))

Abstract

Considering biological systems at different levels of organization as complex networks in which nodes (genes, proteins, metabolites…) are each other connected by (co-expression, physical interactions) is a very natural way of reasoning. Network approach allows scientist to make sense of the intricacies of biological regulation and, for the same mathematical nature of graphs, to obtain a multilevel description linking single node and whole network topological features. This paradigm allows for the detection of a clear signature of robustness: the ability of a system to keep separate different scales of response to environmental stimuli. A case study on the immune system allows for an immediate appreciation of this point.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment and Health Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

    Alessandro Giuliani

Authors
  1. Alessandro Giuliani
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Correspondence to Alessandro Giuliani .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. FAST Institute of Philosophy of Scientific Practice and Faculty of Engineering, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Marta Bertolaso

  2. Institute for the History of Philosophy and Science in Modern Age (ISPF), Italian National Research Council, Naples, Italy

    Silvia Caianiello

  3. CISEPS - Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Economics, Psychology and Social Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca CISEPS, Brescia, Italy

    Emanuele Serrelli

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Giuliani, A. (2018). The Robustness/Sensitivity Paradox: An Essay on the Importance of Phase Separation. In: Bertolaso, M., Caianiello, S., Serrelli, E. (eds) Biological Robustness. History, Philosophy and Theory of the Life Sciences, vol 23. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01198-7_8

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