Biological pathology from an organizational perspective

Saborido, Cristian; Moreno, Álvaro

doi:10.1007/s11017-015-9318-8

Cited by 38 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Disorders and diseases can be understood as negative bodily occurrences where a part of the organism fails to perform one of its biological functions appropriately. This interpretation corresponds with the concept of biological malfunction, recently described by Saborido and Moreno [ 17 ]. In this concept, biological functions are interpreted as specific causal effects of a part or a trait that contributes to a complex web of mutual interactions, which, in turn, maintain the organization and, consequently, the part itself.…”

Section: Hierarchically Organized and Nested Systemssupporting

confidence: 79%

“…A process becomes malfunctional when—due to the fact that its particular qualities limit its range of modulation—it is unable to do what the regulatory (sub)system “tells” it to do within the framework of a specific regime of self-maintenance. Diseases and disorders can be understood as negative bodily occurrences where a part of the organism fails to appropriately perform one of its biological functions [ 17 ]. Biological functions are interpreted as specific causal effects of a part that contributes to a complex web of mutual interactions, which, in turn, maintain the organization and, consequently, the part itself.…”

Section: How Does Adaptation Work?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Metabolic Disorders in the Transition Period Indicate that the Dairy Cows’ Ability to Adapt is Overstressed

Sundrum

2015

Animals

191

158

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Simple SummaryMetabolic disorders are a key problem in the transition period of dairy cows and often appear before the onset of further health problems. Problems derive from difficulties animals have to adapt to large variations and disturbances occurring both outside and inside the organism. A lack of success in solving these issues may be due to predominant approaches in farm management and agricultural science, dealing with such disorders as merely negative side effects. Instead, a successful adaptation of animals to their living conditions should be seen as an important end in itself. Both farm management and agricultural sciences should support animals in their ability to cope with nutritional and metabolic challenges by employing a functional and result-driven approach.AbstractMetabolic disorders are a key problem in the transition period of dairy cows and often appear before the onset of further health problems. They mainly derive from difficulties the animals have in adapting to changes and disturbances occurring both outside and inside the organisms and due to varying gaps between nutrient supply and demand. Adaptation is a functional and target-oriented process involving the whole organism and thus cannot be narrowed down to single factors. Most problems which challenge the organisms can be solved in a number of different ways. To understand the mechanisms of adaptation, the interconnectedness of variables and the nutrient flow within a metabolic network need to be considered. Metabolic disorders indicate an overstressed ability to balance input, partitioning and output variables. Dairy cows will more easily succeed in adapting and in avoiding dysfunctional processes in the transition period when the gap between nutrient and energy demands and their supply is restricted. Dairy farms vary widely in relation to the living conditions of the animals. The complexity of nutritional and metabolic processes and their large variations on various scales contradict any attempts to predict the outcome of animals’ adaptation in a farm specific situation. Any attempts to reduce the prevalence of metabolic disorders and associated production diseases should rely on continuous and comprehensive monitoring with appropriate indicators on the farm level. Furthermore, low levels of disorders and diseases should be seen as a further significant goal which carries weight in addition to productivity goals. In the long run, low disease levels can only be expected when farmers realize that they can gain a competitive advantage over competitors with higher levels of disease.

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Section: Hierarchically Organized and Nested Systemssupporting

confidence: 79%

Section: How Does Adaptation Work?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic Disorders in the Transition Period Indicate that the Dairy Cows’ Ability to Adapt is Overstressed

Sundrum

2015

Animals

191

158

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“…Although we cannot discuss this issue in details here, we would mention that the OA has recently started to address the notion of malfunction (Saborido & Moreno 2015). The underlying idea is that, in spite to what most advocates of selected effects theories claim, there are ways of accounting how a trait can "fail" to perform a function without adopting an epiphenomenal stance.…”

Section: Is the Organizational Account A Backward Looking One?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Functions, Organization and Etiology: A Reply to Artiga and Martinez

Mossio

Saborido

2016

Acta Biotheor

Self Cite

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We reply to Artiga and Martinez's claim according to which the organizational account of cross-generation functions implies a backward looking interpretation of etiology, just as standard etiological theories of function do. We argue that Artiga and Martinez's claim stems from a fundamental misunderstanding about the notion of "closure", on which the organizational account relies. In particular, they incorrectly assume that the system, which is relevant for ascribing cross-generation organizational function, is the lineage. In contrast, we recall that organizational closure refers to a relational description of a network of mutual dependencies, abstracted from time, in which production relations are irrelevant. From an organizational perspective, ascribing a function to an entity means locating it in the abstract system that realizes closure. In particular, the position of each entity within the relational system conveys an etiological explanation of its existence, because of its dependence on the effects exerted by other entities subject to closure. Because of the abstract relational nature of closure, we maintain that the organizational account of functions does not endorse a backward looking interpretation of etiology. As a consequence, it does not fall prey of epiphenomenalism.

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“…Currently, this research continues with characterization of self-organization as "processes of selfmaintenance, such that a trait has (or serves) a specific function, to the extent that the trait contributes to the maintenance of the biological organization to which it belongs." ( [24], p. 87). In practical terms, self-organization and its disruptions may consist most generally of self-creation and its disruptions, such as embryogenesis and teratogenesis, respectively, and of self-repair and its disruptions, such as wound healing and abscess formation, respectively [10].…”

Section: The Notion Of Health As Self-organizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health as Balance: A Conceptual Study

Rudnick¹

2017

Health

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The notion of health as balance has influenced health care for long. It is not known in what ways, if any, this notion has influenced health research, and whether such influence is helpful. I conduct here a conceptual (rather than an empirical) study to address the unsolved problem whether the notion of health as balance (rather than balance restoring health), specified in various established ways, such as balance between internal and external forces, may be helpful when used in health research. I find that the notion of health as balance has challenges, such as when it focuses on homeostasis, as norms of health are not specified by such a notion. Yet the notion of self-organization has promise as a helpful specification of the notion of health as balance. Health research may benefit from the innovation of use of the notion of health as self-organization, such as by prioritizing host and person (rather than agent) in physical and mental health research and using complexity theory and related methods in relation to self-organization.

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Biological pathology from an organizational perspective

Cited by 38 publications

References 33 publications

Metabolic Disorders in the Transition Period Indicate that the Dairy Cows’ Ability to Adapt is Overstressed

Metabolic Disorders in the Transition Period Indicate that the Dairy Cows’ Ability to Adapt is Overstressed

Functions, Organization and Etiology: A Reply to Artiga and Martinez

Health as Balance: A Conceptual Study

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