Model for Sustained Rhythmic Binary Logic
39
continuous does not preclude the possibility that in complex, interrelated
chemical systems some function of the concentration of a particular
chemical species is very nearly a step-function. Third, one of the important
results obtained from the relatively new thermodynamics of "irreversible
processes" (e.g. open systems) is that rotating chemical reactions are
thermodynamically possible around non-equilibrium stationary states.
Clearly, since biological systems are open and contain many complex,
interrelated multi-enzyme pathways, one cannot exclude that rhythmic
binary events are the result of constituent biochemical reactions.
II. The Model
The model summarized in scheme 1 consists of two pathways for the
metabolism of a substance So which is supplied from an arbitrary source.
cooperative inhibition (5 n )Hn
I
I
50 (source)
thoEo
"lEI "j_IEj_ 1 hjEj
"n-IEn-1 I
k n
--'- 5 0 -->- SI -->- ... -----;. Sj---;' ... -----;. 5 n --+ 5 n (pool)
I'
t
En +- I ~ .
-- Pathway A
X n + 1
"n + 1
kn+ I
Sn + 1 ---;. Sn + 1 (pool)
En + 2 j,!
+-Pathway B
I
t
k +.
Sn+j ~ Sn+j (pool)
Scheme 1
En+H11l
En +m Ii
Xn+m
kn+m
5 n + m - - - + 511 + m (pool)