On the Emergence of Autonomous Chemical Systems through Dissipation Kinetics.

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Origin of Life Research
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Life's self-organization and evolution require overcoming entropy.
• Metabolic processes are crucial for fueling life's functions and evolution.
• Understanding the origin of life necessitates linking metabolic and evolutionary dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the kinetic requirements for self-organization and natural selection.
• To establish a fundamental principle connecting metabolism, energy, and evolution.
• To explore the physical and chemical basis for the emergence of autonomous systems.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of kinetic requirements for compensating entropic costs.
• Modeling of metabolic and evolutionary processes.
• Investigation of irreversible reaction cycles and kinetic barriers.

Main Results:

• A simple energy potential threshold is identified for natural selection.
• Darwinian behavior in systems requires specific time and energy constraints.
• Emergent Autonomous Systems (EASs) can arise from irreversible reaction cycles.

Conclusions:

• Metabolic coupling and low-entropy energy are essential for life's processes.
• Kinetic barriers are necessary to prevent reverse reactions in evolutionary cycles.
• EASs demonstrate self-maintenance and reproduction via stable kinetic state transmission, suggesting an epigenetic basis.