Synonyms
Definition
Modularity or community structure is one of the key properties of biological networks (e.g., gene regulatory networks) as well as general complex networks; plays a crucial role in their topology, evolution, and function; and is recognized as a design principle in biological systems. A module or community is a densely connected subset of nodes that is sparsely linked to the remaining network. In biological systems, such modules are evident in different biological processes and are function units in various biological networks. Modularity structure may enhance the adaptability and robustness of biological systems to perturbations.
Characteristics
Gene regulation is a key and complicated biological mechanism. Cellular processes, such as cell differentiation, metabolism, cell cycle, and signal transduction (signal transduction pathway), are controlled by gene regulatory networks.
Similarly, with many biological networks, modular...
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Zhang, J., Zhang, S. (2013). Modular Organization of Gene Regulatory Networks. In: Dubitzky, W., Wolkenhauer, O., Cho, KH., Yokota, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Systems Biology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9863-7_473
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9863-7_473
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-9862-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-9863-7
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