Rapp P E
Prog Neurobiol. 1987;29(3):261-73. doi: 10.1016/0301-0082(87)90023-2.
The ubiquity of oscillations in biological systems is well established. Oscillations are observed in all types of organisms from the simplest to the most complex. Periods can range from fractions of a second to months or years. From time to time, it has been suggested that many biological oscillations are the result of the breakdown of effective self-regulation. The opposite view is defended here. It is argued that most periodic behavior is not pathological but rather constitutes the normal operation for these systems. They are present because they confer positive functional advantages for the organism. The advantages fall into five general categories: temporal organization, spatial organization, prediction of repetitive events, efficiency and precision of control.
生物系统中振荡现象的普遍性已得到充分证实。在从最简单到最复杂的所有类型生物体中都观察到了振荡。周期范围可以从几分之一秒到数月或数年。不时有人提出，许多生物振荡是有效自我调节崩溃的结果。这里捍卫的是相反的观点。有人认为，大多数周期性行为并非病态，而是这些系统的正常运作。它们之所以存在，是因为它们为生物体带来了积极的功能优势。这些优势可分为五大类：时间组织、空间组织、对重复事件的预测、控制的效率和精度。
