All dynamic energy budget models follow the energy budget of an individual organism throughout its life cycle; by contrast,"static" energy budget models describe a specific life stage or size of an organism. The main advantage of the DEB-theory based model over most other models is its description of energy assimilation and utilization (reserve dynamics) simultaneously with decoupled processes of growth, development/ maturation, and maintenance. Under constant environmental conditions (constant food and temperature) the standard DEB model can be simplified to the von Bertalanffy (or better, Putter's ) growth model, but its mechanistic process-based setup enables incorporating fluctuating environmental conditions, as well as studying reproduction and maturation in parallel to growth.
DEB theory specifies reserves as separate from structure: these are the two state variables that contribute to physical volume, and (in combination with reproduction buffer of adults) fully define the size of an individual. Maturity (also a state variable of the model) tracks how much energy has been invested into maturation, and therefore determines the life stage of the organism relative to maturity levels at which life stage transitions (birth and puberty) occur. Dynamics of the state variables are given by ordinary differential equations which include the major processes of energy uptake and use: assimilation, mobilization, maintenance, growth, maturation, and reproduction.
* Food is transformed into reserve, which fuels all other metabolic processes. The feeding rate is proportional to the surface area; food handling time and the transformation efficiency from food to reserve are independent of food density.
* A fixed fraction (kappa) of mobilized reserve is allocated to somatic maintenance plus growth (soma), the rest on maturity maintenance plus maturation or reproduction. Maintenance has priority over other processes. Somatic maintenance is proportional to structural body volume, and maturity maintenance to maturity. Heating costs for endotherms and osmotic work (for fresh water organisms) are somatic maintenance costs that are proportional to surface area.
* Stage transitions occur if the cumulated investment into maturation exceeds threshold values. Life stages typically are: embryo, juvenile, and adult. Reserve that is allocated to reproduction is first accumulated in a buffer. The rules for converting the buffer to gametes are species-specific (e.g. spawning can be once per season).
Parameters of the model are individual specific, but similarities between individuals of the same species yield species-specific parameter estimations. DEB parameters are estimated from several types of data simultaneously.  Routines for data entry and parameter estimation are available as free software package [http://www.bio.vu.nl/thb/deb/deblab/debtool/DEBtool_M/manual/index.html DEBtool]  implemented in the MATLAB environment, with the process of model construction explained in a [http://www.debtheory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Add-my-pet_Introduction Wiki-style manual] . Estimated parameters are collected in the online library called the [http://www.bio.vu.nl/thb/deb/deblab/add_my_pet/index.html Add-my-pet project].