The first edition of this book was greeted with broad interest from readers en gaged in various disciplines of biophysics. I received many stimulating and en couraging responses, however, some of the book's reviewers wanted to stress the fact that an extensive literature of network theory was not included or reported in the book. But the main aspect of the book is intended to be substantive rather than methodical: networks simply serve as a remedy for doing some first steps in analysing and modelling complex biological systems. For an advanced stage in the investigation of a particular system it may be appropriate to replace the pheno menological network method by more detailed techniques like statistical equations or computer simulations. According to this intention, the second edition of the book has been enlarged by further biological examples for network analysis, not by more network theory. There is a completely new section on a network model for photoreception. For this section I am obliged to J. Tiedge who did most of the detailed calculation and to my colleague Professor Stieve with whom we have had a very fruitful cooperation. Also I would like to mention that this work has been sponsored by the "Deutsche Forschungsgemei nschaft" i n the "Sonderforschungsberei ch 160". Recent results for excitable systems represented by feedback networks have also been included in the second edition, especially for limit cycle networks.

This book is devoted to the question: What fundamental ideas and concepts can phys ics contribute to the analysis of complex systems like those in biology and ecolo gy? The book originated from two lectures which I gave during the winter term 1974/75 and the summer term 1976 at the Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische Hoch schule in Aachen. The wish for a lecture with this kind of subject was brought forward by students of physics as well as by those from other disciplines like biology, physiology, and engineering sciences. The students of physics were look ing for ways which might lead them from their monodisciplinary studies into the interdisciplinary field between physics and life sciences. The students from the other disciplines suspected that there might be helpful physical concepts and ideas for the analysis of complex systems they ought to become acquainted with. It is clear that a lecture or a book which tries to realize the expectations of both these groups will meet with difficulties arising from the different train ings and background knowledge of physicists and nonphysicists. For the physicists, I have tried to give a brief description of the biological aspect and significance of a problem wherever it seems necessary and appropriate and as far as a physicist like me feels authorized to do so.

No detailed description available for "Thermodynamics and Regulation of Biological Processes".

No detailed description available for "Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Biological Processes".