Integrative Organismal Biology

Integrative Organismal Biology synthesizes current understanding of the causes and consequences of individual variation at the physiological, behavioral and organismal levels. Emphasizing key topics such as phenotypic plasticity and flexibility, and summarizing emerging areas such as ecological immunology, oxidative stress biology and others, Integrative Organismal Biology pulls together information across a multitude of disciplines to provide a synthetic understanding of the role of the individual in evolution. Beginning with grounding theory highlighting the role of the individual in evolutionary and ecological processes, the book covers theory and mechanism from both classic and modern perspectives. Chapters explore concepts such as how genetic and epigenetic variation becomes physiological and phenotypic variation, homeostasis, gene regulatory networks, physiological regulatory networks, and integrators. A concluding section illustrates these concepts through a series of case studies of life processes such as aging, reproduction, and immune defense.Written and edited by leaders in the field who are actively engaged in teaching and research, Integrative Organismal Biology will be an important advanced textbook for students and researchers across the numerous subdisciplines of integrative biology.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Plasticity, Complexity, and the Individual
Chapter 2 The Ecological and Evolutionary Importance of Variation in Life History Reaction Norms
Chapter 3 Curve-Thinking: Understanding Reaction Norms and Developmental Trajectories as Traits
Chapter 4 Plasticity and Personality
Chapter 5 Induction and Function of Polyphenic Morphs: Proximate Regulatory Mechanisms and Evolutionary Implications
Chapter 6 Evolutionary Systems Biology: Shifting Focus to the Context-Dependency of Genetic Effects
Chapter 7 The Role of Ecological Epigenetics in Integrative Biology
Chapter 8 An Elephant in the Fog: Unifying Concepts of Physiological Stasis and Change
Chapter 9 Physiological Regulatory Networks: The Orchestra of Life?
Chapter 10 Integrating Costs of Reproduction between the Sexes
Chapter 11 Immune Systems: Linking Organisms, Populations, and Evolution through Disease
Chapter 12 Developmental Plasticity of Individual Variation in Stress Responses
Chapter 13 A Common Framework for the Regulation of Growth and Size: Stepping Away from the Trees to See the Forest
Chapter 14 Adding Fuel to the “Fire of Life”: Energy Budgets across Levels of Variation in Ectotherms and Endotherms
Chapter 15 Biological Timekeeping: Individual Variation, Performance, and Fitness
Chapter 16 Senescence: Integrating Biology from Cradle to the Grave
Chapter 17 Linking Physiology, Climate, and Species Distributional Ranges
Chapter 18 Trade-offs and Biological Diversity: Integrative Answers to Ecological Questions
Chapter 19 Conclusions: The Central Role of the Organism in Biology