A Glossary for Systems Biology
Contents
Index - Glossary -
SYSTEM
Glossary
SENSITIVITY
Submit - Comment
Contents
Index - Glossary -
SYSTEM
Glossary
SENSITIVITY
dynamic (behavior), model
Static behavior of a system is defined in systems theory as a system's behavior at an equilibrium point.
Often measurements can only be taken while a system is in a stable state (i.e. at equilibrium), because changes within the system are too fast to be measured and would invalidate the measured data. Models of such systems - when based exclusively on the empirical data from measurements - are often deliberately constrained to the system's behavior at that stationary point and leave out the more dynamic aspects of a systems behavior. A typical example is that of a bioreactor, which is clearly designed to operate around an equilibrium point that ensures optimal conditions for the microorganisms in the reactor. The model needed to run the reactor during production can be constrained to the equilibrium of optimal growth conditions and leave out other aspects, like start-up or shutdown phases.
Behavior within a small area around such an equilibrium point is called local dynamic behavior and can be represented by a linearization (dynamic) of the original system.