Hierarchical and cybernetic nature of biologic systems and their relevance to homeostatic adaptation to low-level exposures to oxidative stress-inducing agents.

Abstract excerpt

During evolution in an aerobic environment, multicellular organisms survived by adaptive responses to both the endogenous oxidative metabolism in the cells of the organism and the chemicals and low-level radiation to which they had been exposed. The defense repertoire exists at all levels of the biological hierarchy--from the molecular and biochemical level to the cellular and tissue level to the organ and organ...