Compartmental systems. An appealing class for kinetic modeling and identification of metabolic processes.

Problems which arise in quantitative studies on the kinetics of exogenous and endogenous chemical substances within the organism are examined together with approaches for their resolution. Linear and nonlinear compartmental mathematical models are presented and their relevant role for interpreting stimulus‐response experimental data is outlined. Available approaches are then discussed for the resolution of the system identification problem, including a priori and a posteriori identifiability, parameter estimation from test measurement data and optimum design of kinetic experiments. Finally, approaches to the problem of validation are reviewed.