Modeling as a method of scientific knowledge and specificity of modeling in various areas of biology are studied in the first chapter "Methodological aspects of modeling of the biological phenomena", where examples of mathematical modeling application in molecular genetics, including the biophysical and cybernetic approaches are given. The chapter also concerns application of cybernetics and computers in the theory of evolution. Relationship between biometrics and design of experiment on the basis of polynomial models is discussed. Approaches of theoretical biology and theoretical physics are compared. The analysis of these rather diverse tasks results in choosing an uniform conceptual problem -- about a place of the principle of analogy in biological sciences and features of its realization in solving several genetic tasks, and about its supplement with other principles, urgent at the modern stage of genetics development. The first of them is a principle of inductive construction of models from simple to complex, as against mathematics with its deductive construction of the mathematical theories. The second one is a principle of sufficiency of existing mathematical and computer methods and models for the description of biological phenomena: only their wider use is required. These three principles are the essence of new information technology of modeling genetic processes. The consecutive application of this technology to various biological tasks is given in the following chapters of the book. Two of them are devoted to application of principles of analogy and inductance to creation of analytical models of genetico-physiological processes. Two others deal with cybernetic approaches to modeling and analysis of genetic and ecologo-genetic processes with using principles of analogy and sufficiency.
The second chapter "Modeling of bacterial conjugation" is devoted to analytical modeling of such important genetic process as conjugation in Escherichia coli K-12. The basic physiological stages of this sexual process and their quantitative regularities are examined here. This is a basis for development of models describing kinetics of both mating aggregate formation and chromosome transfer, and formulation of a hypothesis of complete transfer of donor chromosome into recipient cell during conjugation. According to the hypothesis of complete transfer, there is no spontaneous interruption of donor chromosome transfer or, at least, it is not so great to explain an existing recombinant gradient. When transferred into female cell, donor DNA becomes an object of attack for recipient enzyme systems. As a result, enzymatic gaps of male DNA appear breaking synapse of the transferred male chromosome end with female one, and the genes laying behind such gaps lose the possibility to participate in recombination. Two models describe the stage of recombination in zygote. The first of them -- the model of symmetric crossing-over -- is based on the assumption of including the leading part (origin) of the transferred donor chromosome in the recombinant structure with some probability different from zero. That allows consideration of the facts, observed in the experiment, which were not accounted for earlier. The stochastic model of recombination treats this process as a Markov chain of unequiprobable events of inclusion of both donor and recipient genes in the incorporated structure. This formalism allows quantitative description of action on recombination of the physical and chemical factors in the case of donor and recipient treatment. The method for estimating mutagenic activity of physical factors was developed on the basis of this model, and the patent for an invention was issued. The role of restriction–modification systems in formation of transfer gradient, masking complete transfer of donor chromosome, is also discussed in this chapter.
The third chapter refers to as "Action of electromagnetic fields on insects: physical model, physiological effects, and genetic consequences". The physical model developed here allows explanation of some physiological (behavioural) effects in Drosophila melanogaster. The model assumes that chitin-containing exoskeleton of insects can play the role of the condenser of electrical charges. In the case of a single fly, the charge on its exoskeleton causes the non-coordinated vibration of chitin-containing elements at low frequencies, immobilising the insect. In the group of insects, the force of discharging flies against each other increases with electrical field frequency, and their response to discharge depends on such an electrophysiological characteristic as refracterity. The influence of a low frequency field on the drosophila genetic system is also discussed. According to the model, morphoses observed in experiments can be caused by stress from placing insects in the field with frequencies of 100 Hz -- 10 kHz and intensities of 400 -- 800 kV/m that leads to modification of gene expression. The similar effects can be observed in other organisms, causing changes in cell aging rates, increase of development anomaly probability and cancer disease frequency.
The fourth chapter "Formal models of statistical genetics. Computer application" deals with application of computers for modeling of experimental data and their statistical analysis. Some formulae for estimation of approximating polynomial parameters and appropriate programs for personal computers are given. The opportunity of classifying of post-Chernobyl genetic effects by polynomial models is discussed, too. There is description of both original package of application genetic and statistical programs and management system for input and storage of experimental data -- an electronic analogue of the researcher’s working register.
The final fifth chapter "Information theory principles in the analysis of genetic processes" is devoted to foundations of the information theory application for the analysis of genetic processes and to problems of software elaboration on this basis. In series of cases the available space-time regularities are difficult for quantitative estimation because it is necessary to examine a large set of the phenomena, having a certain spectrum of states. Besides, a doubt as to adequacy of mathematical statistics methodology arises frequently. First of all, it concerns the basic postulate of mathematical statistics about validity of the hypothesis on general population existence, which can be estimated by the experimental data considered as a sample of this hypothetical population. Therefore there arises a problem of searching for the mathematical methods adequate to such a character of the initial data. The experience of biophysics allows the choice of an information theory method of the uncertainty analysis. A high generality of this method and an opportunity of its application to complex behaviour is associated with the possibility to apply it to any arbitrarily determined set of states. It does not require such restrictions to the initial data as linearity, continuity, metrizability or even ranking. The information theory measure of uncertainty estimation and the opportunity of its application for both modeling and analysis of nonlinear genetic and ecologo-genetic effects and small samples are examined in the chapter. The computer system, which helps to analyse the experimental data of quantitative character genetics and post-Chernobyl monitoring, is also discussed.