Can Quantum Theory Concepts Shed Light on Biological Evolution Processes?
461
may be defined as an elementary genome mutation (possibly induced by electron or
proton tunneling), whether it be positive, negative, or neutral in terms of fitness and
whether it is followed or not by overall gene rearrangement. As μ is tiny regarding
the aperiodic macromolecular genome complexity, the only paths that contribute to
without cancelling through pattern pitch wave interference correspond
to some stationary phase, meaning here stationary E, cf. Equation (15).
However, contrary to a light ray or a particle trajectory, which is unique once
the frequency or the momentum and the characteristics of the medium are defined
(Fig. 2a), the formation of a species (speciation), e.g. S a (G a ), Fig. 4a, and its evolution (either directly through its internal dynamics or indirectly from effects of the
medium), may lead to a large number of other species (radiation), Fig. 2c. This is
comparable to a molecule appearing in several isomer or tautomer forms, each corresponding to a potential well separated from the others by potential barriers. With given
numbers of the A, T (U), G and C monomers, a very large number of DNA (RNA)
polymers can be built. And the number gets larger as the proportions and positions
of the monomers are modified through complexification/selection processes.
Work is in progress to specify the concrete meaning and mechanisms of pitch
wave interferences in evolving genome structures.
5 Discussion and Conclusion
It is now common belief that evolution is a universal phenomenon, from the birth of
the Universe to the appearance of Life. With Man, cultural evolution is taking over
biological evolution and may even modify its course. It is also established that transformism is the only assumption that can account for the rise in complexity of living
structures over geological durations, even though neither spontaneous generation nor
mutation of a species to another has ever been observed. Of all mechanisms proposed
to explain evolution, Darwin’s natural and sexual selection of random variations
prevailed over Lamarck’s transmissible adaptative changes or other proposed mechanisms. However, natural selection alone cannot explain such coordinated events as
the building of the eye or the teleological aspect of many biological processes.
In fact, natural selection is only one of the rules that govern a universal, evolutive
self-organization process which goes beyong the living world [30]. At the microscopic level, this process obeys quantum mechanics while at the macroscopic level,
it follows statistical mechanics [16]. Except in the living world, where the control
of phylum phenotypes by molecular genotypes makes it a necessary to introduce a
new, fundamental quantum biodynamics approach [39].
Following Mendel’s laws of heredity and Morgan’s theory of genes, Schrödinger’s
argumentation on the quantum nature of living systems (which inspired the discovery of DNA), together with Darwin’s theory of biological evolution, reminds of
Epicure’s conjecture that matter is made of atoms driven by chance and necessity.
These latter play a role similar in the Darwinian theory of biological evolution and in
461
may be defined as an elementary genome mutation (possibly induced by electron or
proton tunneling), whether it be positive, negative, or neutral in terms of fitness and
whether it is followed or not by overall gene rearrangement. As μ is tiny regarding
the aperiodic macromolecular genome complexity, the only paths that contribute to
to some stationary phase, meaning here stationary E, cf. Equation (15).
However, contrary to a light ray or a particle trajectory, which is unique once
the frequency or the momentum and the characteristics of the medium are defined
(Fig. 2a), the formation of a species (speciation), e.g. S a (G a ), Fig. 4a, and its evolution (either directly through its internal dynamics or indirectly from effects of the
medium), may lead to a large number of other species (radiation), Fig. 2c. This is
comparable to a molecule appearing in several isomer or tautomer forms, each corresponding to a potential well separated from the others by potential barriers. With given
numbers of the A, T (U), G and C monomers, a very large number of DNA (RNA)
polymers can be built. And the number gets larger as the proportions and positions
of the monomers are modified through complexification/selection processes.
Work is in progress to specify the concrete meaning and mechanisms of pitch
wave interferences in evolving genome structures.
5 Discussion and Conclusion
It is now common belief that evolution is a universal phenomenon, from the birth of
the Universe to the appearance of Life. With Man, cultural evolution is taking over
biological evolution and may even modify its course. It is also established that transformism is the only assumption that can account for the rise in complexity of living
structures over geological durations, even though neither spontaneous generation nor
mutation of a species to another has ever been observed. Of all mechanisms proposed
to explain evolution, Darwin’s natural and sexual selection of random variations
prevailed over Lamarck’s transmissible adaptative changes or other proposed mechanisms. However, natural selection alone cannot explain such coordinated events as
the building of the eye or the teleological aspect of many biological processes.
In fact, natural selection is only one of the rules that govern a universal, evolutive
self-organization process which goes beyong the living world [30]. At the microscopic level, this process obeys quantum mechanics while at the macroscopic level,
it follows statistical mechanics [16]. Except in the living world, where the control
of phylum phenotypes by molecular genotypes makes it a necessary to introduce a
new, fundamental quantum biodynamics approach [39].
Following Mendel’s laws of heredity and Morgan’s theory of genes, Schrödinger’s
argumentation on the quantum nature of living systems (which inspired the discovery of DNA), together with Darwin’s theory of biological evolution, reminds of
Epicure’s conjecture that matter is made of atoms driven by chance and necessity.
These latter play a role similar in the Darwinian theory of biological evolution and in