Functional biology in its natural context: A search for emergent simplicity

Abstract

The immeasurable complexity at every level of biological organization creates a daunting task for understanding biological function. Here, we highlight the risks of stripping it away at the outset and discuss a possible path toward arriving at emergent simplicity of understanding while still embracing the ever-changing complexity of biotic interactions that we see in nature.

Keywords

• eco-evolutionary dynamics
• functional biology
• ecological context
• systems biology