We provide a short review of stochastic modeling in chemical reaction networks for mathematical and quantitative biologists. We use as case studies two publications appearing in this issue of the Bulletin, on the modeling of quasi-steady-state approximations and cell polarity. Reasons for the relevance of stochastic modeling are described along with some common differences between stochastic and deterministic models.
Keywords: Chemical reaction network; Noise; Scaling limit; Stochasticity; Systems biology.