Understanding biosystem organization Part 2: towards a theoretical framework

Abstract

The notion of biosystem organization is poorly understood by students and so its exploitation as an integrative concept is far from complete. In an attempt to go some way towards removing this problem, this paper presents a framework for analysing and describing biosystem organization. Taking biosystems to be models, the nature of the modelling process is reviewed from one perspective in the philosophy of science. Some important themes involved in biosystem modelling are identified and examined in some detail. One category, the systemic metaphors, is examined more fully and examples are described. The paper concludes with a look at some educational implications of this approach.