The (Mathematical) Modeling Process in Biosciences

In this communication, we introduce a general framework and discussion on the role
of models and the modeling process in the field of biosciences. The objective is to
sum up the common procedures during the formalization and analysis of a biological
problem from the perspective of Systems Biology, which approaches the study of
biological systems as a whole. We begin by presenting the definitions of (biological)
system and model. Particular attention is given to the meaning of mathematical model
within the context of biology. Then, we present the process of modeling and analysis
of biological systems. Three stages are described in detail: conceptualization of the
biological system into a model, mathematical formalization of the previous conceptual
model and optimization and system management derived from the analysis of the
mathematical model. All along this work the main features and shortcomings of the
process are analyzed and a set of rules that could help in the task of modeling any
biological system are presented. Special regard is given to the formative requirements
and the interdisciplinary nature of this approach. We conclude with some general
considerations on the challenges that modeling is posing to current biology