From empirical patterns to theory: A formal metabolic theory of life
Sousa, T., Domingos,T. and Kooijman, S. A. L. M. 2008.
From empirical patterns to theory: A formal metabolic theory of life
Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 363: 2453 - 2464
Abstract
The diversity of life on Earth raises the question of whether it is
possible to have a single theoretical description for all organisms of
the quantitative aspects of the organization of metabolism. However,
similarities between organisms, like von Bertalanffy's growth curve
and Kleiber's law on metabolic rate, suggest that mechanisms that
control the uptake and use of metabolites are common to all
organisms. These and other empirical patterns widespread in biology
should be the ultimate test for any metabolic theory that hopes for
generality. The present study (1) collects empirical evidence on
growth, stoichiometry, feeding, respiration and energy dissipation and
synthesizes it as stylized biological facts, (2) formalizes
assumptions and propositions in a metabolic theory that is fully
consistent with the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) Theory and (3) proves
that these assumptions and propositions are consistent with the
stylized facts.