MORPHOGEN
Charles François (2004). MORPHOGEN, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 2200.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2200 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
- “A mathematical model involving the process of reaction and diffusion of various unspecified chemical compounds” (J. CASTI, 1994, p.71 — after A. TURING).
Morphogens are still purely hypothetical models, none having “ever been indisputably identified in the lab” (p.78). It seems doubtful that any will ever be, because if they are more than computer models, they must be reciprocal self-organizing processes, different in every case, while similar in principle. In biological examples, according to CASTI: “… concentrations… are assumed to be determined by a dynamical system describing how the morphogens interact and change their levels and types over the course of time” (p.71).