Biological Processes as Exploratory Dynamics.

Area of Science:

• Biological Dynamics
• Systems Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Many biological processes achieve specific outcomes through repeated, abortive trajectories.
• Microtubule-kinetochore attachment during cell division exemplifies this exploratory dynamics.
• This contrasts with physical and chemical processes where initial conditions determine the outcome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate biological processes driven by final states rather than initial conditions.
• To explore the concept of exploratory dynamics as a fundamental biological solution for high-fidelity functions.
• To quantitatively model and analyze biological systems exhibiting exploratory dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing the history of dynamics in physics and biology.
• Comparing biological phenomenology with exploratory dynamics principles.
• Developing and examining quantitative models of exploratory dynamics with repeated trials.
• Analyzing the influence of microscopic parameters and energetic costs.

Main Results:

• Biological processes often rely on selecting successful trajectories from random initial states to reach a functional final state.
• Exploratory dynamics models demonstrate how repeated trials lead to achieving specific biological functions.
• Microscopic parameters can be tuned to modify exploratory dynamics and associated energetic burdens.

Conclusions:

• Exploratory dynamics is a necessary biological strategy for achieving high-fidelity functions when the final state is critical.
• This paradigm offers a unified framework for understanding diverse biological phenomena.
• Further quantitative modeling can elucidate the efficiency and energetic trade-offs of these dynamic processes.