Complex systems biology

Complex systems biology (CSB) is a branch or subfield of mathematical and theoretical biology invented by Robert Rosen concerned with complexity of both structure and function in biological organisms, as well as the emergence and evolution of organisms and species, with emphasis being placed on the interconnectivity of, and within, biological network inference, and on modelling the fundamental relations inherent to life. 
According to Baianu "et al". CSB is a field that has only a partial overlap with the more conventional concepts of complex systems theory and systems biology, because CSB is concerned with philosophy and human consciousness. Moreover, mathematics can model a wide range of complex systems, but this is claimed not to be relevant.
Complexity of organisms and biosphere.
There is no satisfying definition of complexity in biology.
According to Rosen, most complex system models are not about biological subjects, such as genomes and organisms, although biology has been successfully modelled since the 19th century.
Two approaches based on information theory and network topology/graph theory have been combined to model human consciousness. 
Regarding ontology (the philosophical metaphysics of reality), one is assuming that there is a hierarchy of complexity levels of organization distinct from reality. 
Baianu "et al". claim that taxonomic ranks such as order, family, genus, species, etc. reflect a hierarchy of complexity levels of organization in biology.
Because of their variability, ability to heal and self-reproduce, and so on, organisms are defined as 'meta-systems' of simpler systems in CSB. A meta-system is a system of systems. Autopoiesis also models such a biological system of systems, however, Baianu "et al". claim that in biology a meta-system is not equivalent to such a system of systems. They also claim it differs from the meta-system defined in a blog by Kent D. Palmer because organisms are different from machines or robots. If, according to Hopcroft "et al"., robots or automata can be defined by five qualities: states, startup state, input and output sets/alphabet and transition function, organisms are different.
Topics in complex systems biology.
The following is a list of topics covered in complex systems biology: