Examining molecular networks in multicellular organisms

What is it about?

Multicellular life is the finely tuned cooperation of many cells. It has evolved in various levels of cellularity and complexity: simple multicellular life forms may comprise the temporary assembly of just a few cells, while very complex forms of life consist of thousands of billions of cells, which are extremely diverse and specialized. In this paper I suggest that by analysing the cellularity and complexity of three large groups of multicellular organisms, brown algae, green plants and animals, we can make an inference on the molecular networks responsible for the organisation of multicellular life. The reasoning behind the approach is that the evolutionany development of life forms mirrors the development of molecular interaction networks.

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Why is it important?

Our understanding of complex life is based on various levels of analysis, macroscopic, microscopic and molecular. The past decades have brought about an enourmous improvement in our ability to generate molecular biological data. It is now time to organize these data on a systems level, to describe biology by complex physical systems and network science approaches in a quantitative manner. This paper helps understand the network properties of multicellular life, thereby helps organize molecular biological data as networks.

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