This are the fundamental questions of biology in the next century. A functional module is, by definition, a discrete entity whose function is separable from those of other modules. This separation depends on chemical isolation, which can originate from spatial localization or from chemical specificity. Modules can be insulated from or connected to each other. Insulation allows the cell to carry out many diverse reactions without cross-talk that would harm the cell, whereas connectivity allows one function to influence another.
Information flows bidirectionally between different levels of biological organization.
This is in contrast to physical systems where, typically, macroscopic perturbations or higher-level structures do not modify the structure of the molecular components. Describing modules and their interactions will be derived from the synthetic sciences, such as computer science or engineering, in which function appears naturally. The essence of computational science is the capacity to engineer circuits that transform information from one form into another on the basis of a set of rules. Life forms develop through incredibly complex series of interactions involving a vast number of different components. These components, or subsystems, are themselves made up of smaller molecular components, which independently exhibit their own dynamic behavior, such as the ability to catalyze chemical reactions.