Ecology: the Biology of Interactions. 1.06. Approaches to the Study of Biosystems
Biology can be divided into parts in three relatively independent dimensions: on the one hand by object of study (zoology, botany, microbiology, etc.); on the other by method (molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, etc.); and, thirdly, by the approach that determines the problems considered...
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1.05. Levels of Organization of Biosystems
D. Shabanov, M. Kravchenko. Ecology: Biology of Interaction Section 1. Ecology and the Biosystems it Studies
1.07. Regulation of Biosystems
1.06. Approaches to Studying Biosystems I believe that it is as impossible to know a part without knowing the whole as it is to know the whole without knowing its parts. Blaise Pascal Biology can be divided into parts in three relatively independent dimensions (Fig. 1.6.1): on the one hand, by the object of study (zoology, botany, microbiology, etc.), on the other hand, by the method (molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, etc.), and thirdly, by the approach that defines the problems considered: morphological (which describes structures), physiological (which describes processes), ecological (which describes the relationship with the environment), and evolutionary-historical (which describes the prehistory of the system). The consideration of structure, function, purpose (relationship with the environment), and prehistory are four interconnected but irreducible directions of studying any system. The explanatory value of ecology lies in the fact that it answers the question "for what purpose?", and in combination with the evolutionary-historical approach – "why?" (and not "what?" and "how?"). Fig. 1.6.1. Different ways of dividing biology into branches From this perspective, it becomes clear that the ecological approach can be applied not only to the study of systems traditionally considered within ecology (from organism to biosphere) but also to any other systems. An ecological consideration of a mitochondrion involves studying its purpose and interaction with the intracellular environment. In general, the order of the main approaches corresponds to the logic of studying any object. Usually, the study begins with a description of morphology (how and from what it is made), moves to physiology (how it works), and then to ecology (what it is needed for) and evolution (why it is so). Morphological study of biosystems is largely reductionist, i.e., it shifts attention from the properties of the system to the properties of its parts (Latin reductio - return, moving back). To describe a complex structure, it must be cut into parts... The physiological approach is partly reductionist and partly holistic, i.e., it considers the system as a whole (Greek holos - whole). The reason for the transition to holism is that the study of functions often requires a holistic consideration of the object, taking into account the interaction of its parts. The ecological approach is inherently holistic, with the studied system being considered not just as a whole, but also as part of a higher-level system. Finally, the evolutionary-historical approach inevitably places the studied object in a broad perspective. The evolutionary-ecological approach can be considered as interconnected; it opens up opportunities for understanding the peculiarities of an object (see section 1.13). Ukrainian / Russian
1.05. Levels of Organization of Biosystems
D. Shabanov, M. Kravchenko. Ecology: Biology of Interaction Section 1. Ecology and the Biosystems it Studies
1.07. Regulation of Biosystems