Systems biology is a large field, offering a number of advantages to a variety of biological disciplines. In limb development, differential‐equation based models can provide insightful hypotheses about the gene/protein interactions and tissue differentiation events that form the core of limb development research. Differential equations are like any other communicative tool, with misuse and limitations that can come along with their advantages. Every theory should be critically analyzed to best ascertain whether they reflect the reality in biology as well they claim. Differential equation‐based models have consistent features which researchers have drawn upon to aid in more realistic descriptions and hypotheses. Nine features are described that highlight these trade‐offs. The advantages range from more detailed descriptions of gene interactions and their consequence and the capacity to model robustness to the incorporation of tissue size and shape. The drawbacks come with the added complication that additional genes and signaling pathways that require additional terms within the mathematical model. They also come in the translation between the mathematical terms of the model, values and matrices, to the real world of genes, proteins, and tissues that constitute limb development. A critical analysis is necessary to ensure that these models effectively expand the understanding of the origins of a diversity of limb anatomy, from evolution to teratology.

中文翻译：

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微分方程带来的好处是肢体发育。

系统生物学是一个广阔的领域，为各种生物学学科提供了许多优势。在肢体发育中，基于差异方程的模型可以提供有关构成肢体发育研究核心的基因/蛋白质相互作用和组织分化事件的深刻见解。微分方程与任何其他通讯工具一样，具有误用和局限性，并伴随其优势。应该认真分析每个理论，以最好地确定它们是否也反映了生物学上的真实性。基于微分方程的模型具有一致的特征，研究人员已利用这些特征来帮助进行更现实的描述和假设。描述了九个突出这些权衡的功能。优点包括对基因相互作用及其后果的更详细描述以及对鲁棒性进行建模的能力，以及对组织大小和形状的吸收。缺点在于增加了复杂性，即数学模型中需要其他术语的其他基因和信号传导途径。它们还包括模型的数学术语，值和矩阵之间的转换，以及构成肢体发育的基因，蛋白质和组织的真实世界。必须进行批判性分析，以确保这些模型有效地扩展对从进化到畸形学的肢体解剖学多样性起源的理解。缺点在于增加了复杂性，即数学模型中需要其他术语的其他基因和信号传导途径。它们还包括模型的数学术语，值和矩阵之间的转换，以及构成肢体发育的基因，蛋白质和组织的真实世界。必须进行批判性分析，以确保这些模型有效地扩展对从进化到畸形学的肢体解剖学多样性起源的理解。缺点在于增加了复杂性，即数学模型中需要其他术语的其他基因和信号传导途径。它们还包括模型的数学术语，值和矩阵之间的转换，以及构成肢体发育的基因，蛋白质和组织的真实世界。必须进行批判性分析，以确保这些模型有效地扩展对从进化到畸形学的肢体解剖学多样性起源的理解。