Summary: Modelling Biological Systems

Read the summary and the most important questions on Modelling Biological Systems

• 1 Week 1

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• Give the definition of a state variable

  A variable that describes the state of a system.

• 1.1 Introduction to Modelling

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• Why do we study models of biological processes?

  • Understanding
    
  • Simulation
  • Prediction
    

• Give 3 examples of very famous models

  1. Predator-prey (Hare-Lynx) model
     
  2. Flat and Curve (Healthcare) model
  3. Tipping Elements

• What are the tools for modelling biological systems?

  • Pen and paper
    
  • Mathematics
  • Programming

• 1.2 Back-of-Envelope Considerations

• Which excersizes can be useful when you start building a model (and could be done on the back of an envelope)?

  • Estimate 
  • Proportionality
  • Dimensions/Units

• 1.3 Dynamical Models

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• Howe do we build a model with differential equations where we show development over time?

  By formulating a rate of change (derivative of the function itself): dN/dt ~ N(t)

• What does the rate of change (dN/dt = rN(t)) look like when the system is in equilibrium?

  DN/dt = 0

• What are some characteristics of the growth rate (r) with logistic growth?

  • Growth rate per individual is not constant
    
  • Depends on population size
  • Assume: linear decrease

• 2 Week 2

• 2.2 Python

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• What is a string?

  A word

• What is the command for list?

  Just put it between [ ]
  so ages_list = [2, 4, 6]
  when you want to retrieve these numbers you can type for example
  ages_list[0]
  (answer will be 2)