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A Glossary for Systems Biology

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ROBUSTNESS Glossary PROPORTIONAL CONTROL

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RELIABILITY

see also

robustness, sensitivity

Meaning

Systems Theory:

A measure of a system's invulnerability to potentially corrupting influences [35].

Explanation

Generally, reliability is a measure of a system's invulnerability to potentially corrupting influences. This has a special importance when components of a system fail. Multiple subsystems which serve the same function (redundancy) are one way a system can be made reliable in the face of such failures (modularity), a principle used in engineering as well as in biology.

With some systems it might not be that important if they stop functioning. Others have important functions that must not fail, because other systems depend on them. A drastic example is that of intensive care equipment, which might be the only thing keeping a patient alive. A failure in such a system would have serious consequences. Medical equipment is therefore designed not to fail catastrophically (principle of first error; modularity).

Examples

Biology:

• thermo-stable enzymes: Normally, enzymes denature when heated beyond a certain temperature. Thermo-stable enzymes are able to keep their structure intact above such temperatures.

Systems Theory:

• redundancy, i.e. multiple subsystems for one function, e.g. two signaling pathways ending in a common element.

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