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From rabbits to genes: How Fibonacci is changing the future of biology?
In the history of the development of biology, the application of mathematics and the application of theory are closely linked. Mathematical biology, or biomathematics, is dedicated to using mathematical models to explore the structure and behavior of biological systems. The origins of this field can be traced to Fibonacci in the 13th century, who demonstrated how mathematics can describe biological phenomena through a model of rabbit reproduction. In this article, we explore the history of mathematical biology, its importance in current biological research, and the changes it may bring in the future.
Early encounters between mathematics and biology
The early application of mathematics in the biological field can be seen in Fibonacci's rabbit reproduction model and subsequent mathematicalism, such as Hobbes' quantitative study of smallpox epidemics
Early research in mathematical biology can be traced back to Fibonacci, who used the problem of rabbit reproduction to illustrate how mathematics could be used to calculate future population growth. In the 18th century, mathematician Daniel Bernoulli was the first to use mathematical models to describe the impact of small pox epidemics on human society. Then, Thomas Malthus discussed the exponential law of population growth in his "On Population" proposed in 1789. This thinking laid an important foundation for later biology.
The rise of mathematical biology
The influence of mathematical biology has grown rapidly in recent decades, in part because the revolution in genomics has provided new analytical tools for data-rich information sets
Since the 1960s, with the rise of data science, mathematical biology has been increasingly used. The genomics revolution has given biologists unprecedented access to biological data, which often relies on mathematical models for analysis. In addition, advances in computing technology have made it possible to simulate complex models and made the scientific community pay more attention to using mathematical tools to solve various problems in biology, including ecology, evolutionary biology, computational neuroscience, etc. field.
Diverse research areas in mathematical biology
The research scope of mathematical biology is broad and involves many specialized subfields, including abstract relational biology, complex systems biology, and computational neuroscience. These fields are using mathematical models to understand the complexity of biological systems, exploring not only morphology but also aspects of dynamic processes.
Abstract relational biology
Abstract Relational biology focuses on the study of general relational models of complex biological systems in which specific morphologies or structures are often omitted. The important contribution of this discipline is to understand the organizational structure of cells and organisms. It can be said that it is one of the cornerstones of mathematical biology.
Computational Neuroscience
Computational neuroscience is dedicated to applying mathematical tools to the study of the nervous system to reveal how the human body processes information by modeling neuronal interactions and signal processing. This field provides us with a deeper understanding of the workings of the brain and how to deal with biological issues related to behavior.
Model Example: Cell Cycle
Mathematical models of the cell cycle are critical to understanding key mechanisms of cell growth and division, especially in cancer research
The cell cycle is a very complex process, and any imbalance may lead to the occurrence of cancer. Therefore, scientists have conducted a lot of research on the cell cycle and proposed various mathematical models to explain the cell behavior of different organisms. These models utilize ordinary differential equations to describe protein dynamics within cells and successfully predict mass changes at different cell cycle stages.
Summary: Future Directions of Mathematical Biology
With the advancement of science and technology, mathematics has an increasingly profound impact on biology. We have entered a data-driven era in which biologists are able to explore deeper biological phenomena through mathematical models and computational techniques. This not only helps us better understand the operation of biological systems, but also opens up new research directions, such as emerging fields such as synthetic biology and systems biology.
So, as we think about how the Fibonacci series will impact the future of modern biology, have we not yet discovered the potential of mathematics in biology?
