Phase transitions in biology: from bird flocks to population dynamics

Phase transitions are an important and extensively studied concept in physics. The insights derived from understanding phase transitions in physics have recently and successfully been applied to a number of different phenomena in biological systems. Here, we provide a brief review of phase transitio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2021-10, Vol.288 (1961), p.20211111
Main Authors: Heffern, Elleard F W, Huelskamp, Holly, Bahar, Sonya, Inglis, R Fredrik
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biology
Birds
Climate Change
Population Dynamics
Review
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Summary:Phase transitions are an important and extensively studied concept in physics. The insights derived from understanding phase transitions in physics have recently and successfully been applied to a number of different phenomena in biological systems. Here, we provide a brief review of phase transitions and their role in explaining biological processes ranging from collective behaviour in animal flocks to neuronal firing. We also highlight a new and exciting area where phase transition theory is particularly applicable: population collapse and extinction. We discuss how phase transition theory can give insight into a range of extinction events such as population decline due to climate change or microbial responses to stressors such as antibiotic treatment.
ISSN:0962-8452
1471-2954
1471-2954
DOI:10.1098/rspb.2021.1111