ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes two physical models—both were developed to explain specific features of T cell signaling. Physical models are created to explain select behaviors of a system of interest. The goal of a physical model is to elucidate a small number of mechanisms to explain not only a specific system, but also a class of systems that might show similar behaviors. In physical models, the pursuit of finding “the sameness” across different systems takes precedence over describing every minute detail in a particular system. The inspiration for creating such models comes from physical sciences, in particular physics and chemistry, where these models provided “foundational insights” into the real system.
