Your human body is a complex, biological system.
It is made up of countless factors (e.g., genes, proteins, lipids, cells, etc.), interconnected via dynamic networks that are continuously working to perform functions that keep you alive and well.
As we work to understand the functioning of our bodies, it is often useful to think about the individual components:
- individual proteins that play a role in different structures and functions
- individual cells that perform specific functions
- individual organs that perform many different functions
- etc.
At the same time, we must understand how these individual components play diverse roles in greater systems:
- a network of tissues and organs, interconnected by continuously fluctuating hormones and other biomolecules that serve as important signals
- a network of bacteria, cells, tissues, and biomolecules that work together within one single area (e.g., the gut)
- nervous system, or vascular tissue, that connects with every single other system in the body providing highways of information, nutrients, etc.
Understanding the workings of these highly complex networks requires thinking systemically as we take into account the many interconnections at play.
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Traditionally, when problems with this system that is your body arise (i.e., when an individual becomes ill) the method is to use a reductionist approach, focusing on one specific part of the body, whether it be a specific tissue or organ, and to think only about the problem in an isolated framework.
This reductionist approach to health is failing us.
If we are going to truly address health problems, we need to approach the human body for the complex, dynamic system that it is.
With this page, it is my intention to study human health using a systems biology approach in which we will look at specific sub-systems (primarily: the liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle).
I have another page that is focused on addressing health problems, on which I create and discuss my models of poor health and disease progression. For more on a systems engineering approach to addressing health problems, check out that other page.
One last thing... note that this page is a work in progress. I am continuously moving my notes to a publishable format and am continuously reading the literature. You will see it all come to life here on this page over time.
Systems biology - how it works
The following posts examine different sub-systems supporting an entire system defined as a single human body and its interaction with the environment via behaviors such as eating.
Note that we can define a system as any network of factors that work together to perform a function. I tend to speak to the entire human body as the full system, with any number of sub-systems supporting it.
Below, you will find sub-systems that examine networks of cells, tissues, or organs, all performing various functions that serve to keep you alive and healthy.
The three sub-systems I tend to focus on are the liver, skeletal muscle tissue, and adipose tissue. For example, in speaking of adipose tissue, I discuss its primary function taking in energy and storing it as fat, while also releasing fat and information out into circulation, and also sending important signals throughout the body about the energetic state of the tissue itself (e.g., at what capacity is that fat tissue).
Metabolic Health
There are any number of functions that the human body performs to create its state of health, and we could speak to any of these when thinking about health. Each individual may be interested in different sorts of dysfunction based on their own specific health challenges.
However, when addressing the sorts of dysfunction that most individuals will find relevant, I've found that the most useful way to think about it all is through the lens of metabolism.
Metabolism is a general term for all of the biochemical reactions that are performed within the body. What's more important to understand is that when speaking of metabolism, what we're really concerned with is energy.
For any function to be performed within any sub-system, a transfer of energy is required. In other words, energy is a necessary piece to any function within any sub-system.
So, if problems arise that have to do with the body's ability to manage the supply and demand of energy, then we would expect to see all sorts of health problems that arise across all sub-systems supporting the human body.
And that's exactly what we do see! As metabolic health declines across the population, we see an increase in the progression of various pathologies, including type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancers, and more.
Once again, this page is devoted to understanding the progression of disease from the metabolic perspective. For more on addressing the problem (i.e. overcoming health challenges), I recommend checking out The Reprogrammed Systems Models.
Sub-Systems
Skeletal Muscle Tissue
Skeletal muscle performs many functions, most notably stabilization and movement of the body.
We can also think about skeletal muscle as the body's primary site of energy utilization.
Adipose Tissue (Fat Storage)
Adipose tissue is the body's primary site of fat storage. When the body experiences a surplus of energy (which tends to happen any time a full meal is consumed) then some of that energy (whether its from fat or carbohydrate) will be stored as fat in adipose tissue.
The Liver
I think of the liver as the body's master metabolic regulator. It is tasked with taking in energy and information from circulation and making calculations regarding what amount and forms of energy the body needs.
Functions
Energy Regulation
Epigenetics (Gene Regulation)
