Reductionism and explanation in cell biology

Abstract

It is likely to be impossible or very difficult to provide a detailed description of the molecular interactions underlying all cellular phenomena. However, methods and ways of thinking are now available or being developed that can deal better with the complexity and greater extension in space and time found at the level of the cell. This will lead to the identification of some components or groups of components as being of particular importance for a cellular phenomenon which can then be studied in detailed molecular terms. In other cases detailed molecular characterization may be replaced by a logical description of the process which emphasizes the information flow and processing rather than the nature of the individual components and their interactions. This may provide an adequate explanation for an appropriate understanding of the cellular phenomena involved.