ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses some basic issues of multiscale analysis. Multiple scales do not span the entire spectrum from molecules to the world oceans, but merely include genes, proteins, and metabolites. Focusing solely on the genomic or the metabolic level masks important clues as to how the system as a whole is organized. The chapter shows that even apparently simple systems require a lot of information regarding their components, processes, and other aspects, and that it is difficult to discern a priori whether particular details can be omitted without much loss or whether they provide clues for important features of the function and regulation of the system. At the genome level, the response to heat is widespread, and many genes are up-regulated within a few minutes. Proteins are involved in stress responses as well. Yeast cells initiate a coordinated, large-scale response within minutes of the beginning of heat stress.
