Photon Dissipation as the Origin of Information Encoding in RNA and DNA

Area of Science:

• Origin of Life Studies
• Thermodynamics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Organic molecules can self-organize under ultraviolet (UV) light, forming structures that promote replication.
• Nucleic acids may be ancient chromophores that dissipated Archean UV radiation.
• Non-equilibrium thermodynamics favors systems that dissipate energy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the thermodynamic basis for the origin of nucleic acids and amino acids.
• To investigate the link between UV light dissipation and molecular evolution.
• To explain the specificity of amino acid-nucleic acid interactions.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of thermodynamic imperatives driving molecular selection.
• Examination of chemical affinities between amino acids and nucleic acid codons/anticodons.
• Modeling of information accumulation in nucleic acids for energy dissipation.

Main Results:

• Amino acids best suited for UV photon dissipation exhibit the highest affinity to their codons/anticodons.
• This thermodynamic principle explains the specificity of amino acid-nucleic acid binding.
• Information accumulation in nucleic acids is tied to optimizing energy dissipation.

Conclusions:

• The thermodynamic imperative to dissipate UV light may have driven early molecular evolution.
• This provides a thermodynamic basis for the genetic code and information storage.
• Evolution and entropy production are linked through dissipative structuring processes.