Network Theory in Prebiotic Evolution
Network Theory in Prebiotic Evolution
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DOI：
10.1007/978-3-319-93584-3_10
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发表时间：
2018-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Mathis, Cole
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Walker, Sara Imari;Mathis, Cole
生命起源研究中最具挑战性的一个方面是，我们并不确切知道生命是什么。近年来，网络理论的使用彻底改变了我们对生命系统的理解，它允许一个数学框架来理解生命是许多相互作用的实体的一种涌现的集体属性。到目前为止，复杂系统科学还没有直接应用于生命的起源，特别是在实验室科学中。然而，在相互作用的结构比计算单个组成部分更重要的情况下，网络是重要的数学描述符-正是我们想象的物质向生命过渡的情况。在这里，我们回顾了在前生物进化中使用网络理论的一些值得注意的例子，并讨论了系统方法对生命起源的承诺。最终的目标是发展一种对生命起源有用的统计力学，也就是说，一种处理系统组件相互作用的力学（而不仅仅是计算它们），因此能够将生命建模为一种涌现现象。
One of the most challenging aspect of origins of life research is that we do not know precisely what life is. In recent years, the use of network theory has revolutionized our understanding of living systems by permitting a mathematical framework for understanding life as an emergent, collective property of many interacting entities. So far, complex systems science has seen little direct application to the origins of life, particularly in laboratory science. Yet, networks are important mathematical descriptors in cases where the structure of interactions matters more than counting individual component parts-precisely what we envision happens as matter transitions to life. Here, we review a few notable examples of the use of network theory in prebiotic evolution, and discuss the promise of systems approaches to origins of life. The end goal is to develop a statistical mechanics useful to origins of life-that is, one that deals with interactions of system components (rather than merely counting them) and is therefore equipped to model life as an emergent phenomena.