Physiological Regulatory Networks: The Orchestra of Life?

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors advocate an explicit focus on physiological interactions at the scale of the whole individual. The authors' point of view emerges from advances in other disciplines focusing on interactions among physiological systems including psychoneuroimmunology, behavioral endocrinology, and ecological immunology. The chapter argues that it is time to develop a whole-organism network theory, as such theory might enhance how we understand important phenomena such as disease and aging but also the ecology and evolution of organisms. It then describes how the study of such physiological regulatory networks (PRNs) might take place. Recently, two concepts regarding the interconnectedness of physiological systems are proposed: the Integrator Network (IN) and PRNs. Both concepts emphasize that extensive connections exist among physiological processes, and that these linkages have many consequences.

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