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Holism and Reductionism in Physiology

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Abstract

Today, theoretical physiology needs general philosophical conclusions, which could be based on a quantitative theory of homeostasis. From a unified standpoint, this theory would make it possible to quantitatively compare the reactions of various systems of the body to certain influences and, thus, would reveal ideas about the integrity of the body, its spatiotemporal certainty, and the multifactorial nature of interaction with the environment. It is possible to quantitatively compare the reactions of various body systems to the investigated influences in a single coordinate system through the study of fractal dimensions. In the article, the authors present their views on systems biology based on the methodology of holism. They substantiate the possibility of transition to holism as a promising methodology for physiology and make an attempt to explain why reductionism remains a weak side of the physiology of extreme states.

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  1. The Newest Philosophical Dictionary.

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Funding

The study was carried out within the framework of basic theme of the Russian Academy of Sciences 65.3.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 123007, Moscow, Russia

    I. M. Larina, A. M. Nosovsky & V. B. Rusanov

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  1. I. M. Larina
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  3. V. B. Rusanov
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Correspondence to I. M. Larina.

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Organism is a form that lasts in the flow of exchange L. D. Beklemishev

Translated by L. Solovyova

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Larina, I.M., Nosovsky, A.M. & Rusanov, V.B. Holism and Reductionism in Physiology. Hum Physiol 48, 346–354 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S036211972201008X

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