dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaPower laws in biological networks
| Authors | E. Almaas, A. -L. Barabasi |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0401010 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0401010 |
Abstract
The rapidly developing theory of complex networks indicates that real networks are not random, but have a highly robust large-scale architecture, governed by strict organizational principles. Here, we focus on the properties of biological networks, discussing their scale-free and hierarchical features. We illustrate the major network characteristics using examples from the metabolic network of the bacterium Escherichia coli. We also discuss the principles of network utilization, acknowledging that the interactions in a real network have unequal strengths. We study the interplay between topology and reaction fluxes provided by flux-balance analysis. We find that the cellular utilization of the metabolic network is both globally and locally highly inhomogeneous, dominated by "hot-spots", representing connected high-flux pathways.
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"abstract": "The rapidly developing theory of complex networks indicates that real\nnetworks are not random, but have a highly robust large-scale architecture,\ngoverned by strict organizational principles. Here, we focus on the properties\nof biological networks, discussing their scale-free and hierarchical features.\nWe illustrate the major network characteristics using examples from the\nmetabolic network of the bacterium Escherichia coli. We also discuss the\nprinciples of network utilization, acknowledging that the interactions in a\nreal network have unequal strengths. We study the interplay between topology\nand reaction fluxes provided by flux-balance analysis. We find that the\ncellular utilization of the metabolic network is both globally and locally\nhighly inhomogeneous, dominated by \"hot-spots\", representing connected\nhigh-flux pathways.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0401010",
"authors": [
"E. Almaas",
"A. -L. Barabasi"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.MN",
"cond-mat.dis-nn",
"q-bio.CB"
],
"title": "Power laws in biological networks",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0401010"
},
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