SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND THE FAMILY EMOTIONAL SYSTEM.

The term "systems biology" has been referred to for decades but emerged as a field only more recently. Systems biology can be described as applying a holistic approach as opposed to the more common reductionistic approach in biological research. Ironically, molecular biology has been a central force contributing to the emergence of a systems approach in biology. The remarkable achievement of the Human Genome Project at the end of the twentieth century led to the unanticipated recognition that single strips of DNA, or genes, were not directly causal to the range of diseases or other physiological phenomena. The discoveries of epigenetic processes have demonstrated gene/environment interactions both within and over generations. Similarly, the success of molecular biology led to the observation of the amazing complexity at play in all forms and levels of life. A view entailing the interactional processes occurring among biological systems is required. This paper has a twofold objective: (1) to briefly describe the emergence of systems biology and the development of a new paradigm related to genes and evolution, and (2) to propose that the family emotional system, as defined in Bowen theory, represents a higher level of organized complexity both in its functioning and in its evolutionary context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]