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"Assembly Theory" in life-origin models: A critical review.
1ProtoBioCybernetics & Protocellular Metabolomics, The Gene Emergence Project, The Origin of Life Science Foundation, Inc, USA.
Bio Systems
|December 22, 2024
Summary
Assembly Theory provides a naturalistic framework for understanding life's origins by integrating multiple scientific theories. It offers a pathway to explain the complex organization required for early metabolism without invoking active selection.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Theoretical Biology
- Origin of Life Studies
Background:
- Homeostatic protometabolism requires orchestrated biochemical pathways and specific molecular assemblies.
- Existing theories struggle to explain the origin of complex biological organization naturally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the contribution of Assembly Theory (AT) to naturalistic models of life's origin.
- To investigate how AT, combined with other theories, can explain the emergence of biological complexity.
Main Methods:
- Conflation of Assembly Theory with Complexity Theory, Chaos theory, Quantum Mechanics, Irreversible Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics, and Molecular Evolution theory.
- Focus on the steering and control mechanisms provided by these integrated theories.
Main Results:
- These integrated theories offer a naturalistic explanation for the exquisite steering and controls needed for early life.
- Assembly Theory provides a framework to circumvent the need for active selection in orchestrating biological organization.
Conclusions:
- Assembly Theory, integrated with related fields, presents a promising approach for understanding the naturalistic origin of life.
- This framework addresses the challenge of organizing complex biochemical systems without relying on pre-existing selective pressures.
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