Metabolic Network Analysis

Metabolism is a set of chemical reactions, used by living organisms to process chemical compounds in order to take energy, extract building in order to take energy, extract building blocks and eliminate toxic compounds. It comprises the network of interactions that provide energy and building blo0cks for cells and organisms, a network sustaining the living and allowing it to grow and reproduce. Understanding the nature and functions of metabolic networks is imperative to biology, toxicology and medicine. With the sequencing of complete genomes, it is now possible to reconstruct the network of biochemical reactions in many organisms, from bacteria to human. This book examines how biological components interact and form metabolic networks, and how these networks generate, and how these networks generate cell functions corresponding to observable phenotypes. It describes how to model metabolic networks, how to determine their properties, and how to relate these to phenotypic functions. It will be a highly beneficial reference tool for researchers and scholars in all areas of life sciences.