Individual-based modeling : an attractive methodology to study bio systems

The aim of this paper is to present the general characteristics of the individual-based models (IbMs), and the way to deal with them when a bio system, a set of discrete life entities evolving in a changing environment, is modeled. A discussion of the advantages and disadvantages that this type of discrete modeling has compared with the more classical continuous modeling is presented. It describes the specific and recently accepted protocol to follow in order to presents and communicate an IbM, and it identifies the platform NetLogo, of public use and free access from the web, which is suitable for the implementation of this kind of computational model. All of this corroborates the interest in introducing the IbMs to work and practice with the modeling competence in teaching.