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The evolutionary origin of biological function and complexity.

¹Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel. addy.pross@gmail.com

Journal of Molecular Evolution

|March 21, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Dynamic kinetic stability (DKS) drives the evolution of function and complexity in replicating systems. This principle explains how life emerged from non-living matter, highlighting the chemical basis of biological phenomena.

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Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Origin of Life Research
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

The evolutionary process for chemical and biological replicators is governed by dynamic kinetic stability (DKS).
Understanding the chemical basis of biological phenomena is crucial for deciphering life's origins.
Function and complexity are central concepts in biology with debated origins.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the chemical roots of biological function and complexity using the DKS concept.
To identify the driving force behind the emergence and evolution of function and complexity.
To connect the physicochemical principles of abiogenesis with evolutionary processes.

Main Methods:

Utilizing the dynamic kinetic stability (DKS) concept.
Analyzing the selection rules in persistent replicating systems.
Investigating the relationship between DKS, function, and complexity.

Main Results:

The selection rule favoring greater DKS drives the creation of function from non-functional systems.
Biological complexity originates from and is directly related to the origin of function.
The emergence and evolution of function and complexity are governed by the drive toward greater DKS.

Conclusions:

The drive toward greater dynamic kinetic stability (DKS) is the fundamental force behind abiogenesis and biological evolution.
Elucidating physicochemical principles governing life's emergence is key to understanding biological phenomena.
DKS provides a unifying chemical principle for understanding the origin and evolution of life's core properties.