Editing Systems theory (section)

===Biology===
{{Main|Systems biology}}
Systems biology is a movement that draws on several trends in [[bioscience]] research. Proponents describe systems biology as a biology-based interdisciplinary study field that focuses on complex interactions in [[biological system]]s, claiming that it uses a new perspective ([[holism]] instead of [[reductionist|reduction]]).

Particularly from the year 2000 onwards, the biosciences use the term widely and in a variety of contexts. An often stated ambition of systems biology is the modelling and discovery of [[emergent property|emergent properties]] which represents properties of a system whose theoretical description requires the only possible useful techniques to fall under the remit of systems biology. It is thought that [[Ludwig von Bertalanffy]] may have created the term ''systems biology'' in 1928.<ref name="LVB1928">1928, Kritische Theorie der Formbildung, Borntraeger. In English: Modern Theories of Development: An Introduction to Theoretical Biology, Oxford University Press, New York: Harper, 1933</ref>

Subdisciplines of systems biology include:
* [[Systems neuroscience]]
* [[Systems pharmacology]]

====Ecology====
{{Main|Systems ecology}}
Systems ecology is an [[interdisciplinary]] field of [[ecology]] that takes a [[holism|holistic]] approach to the study of [[ecological systems]], especially [[ecosystem]]s;<ref>Shugart, Herman H., and Robert V. O'Neill. "Systems Ecology". Dowden, Hutchingon & Ross, 1979.</ref><ref>Van Dyne, George M. "Ecosystems, Systems Ecology, and Systems Ecologists". ORNL- 3975. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 1966.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Wilkinson|first=David M.|title=Fundamental Processes in Ecology: An Earth Systems Approach|year=2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780198568469|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PFGWHyRyzBwC&q=Fundamental+Processes+in+Ecology:+An+Earth+Systems+Approach|access-date=2020-11-12|archive-date=2024-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421022110/https://books.google.com/books?id=PFGWHyRyzBwC&q=Fundamental+Processes+in+Ecology:+An+Earth+Systems+Approach|url-status=live}}</ref> it can be seen as an application of general systems theory to ecology.

Central to the systems ecology approach is the idea that an ecosystem is a [[complex system]] exhibiting [[emergent properties]]. Systems ecology focuses on interactions and transactions within and between biological and ecological systems, and is especially concerned with the way the functioning of ecosystems can be influenced by human interventions. It uses and extends concepts from [[thermodynamics]] and develops other macroscopic descriptions of complex systems.