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Evolution and selection in physics and in biology

The evolution in physics leads from less to more probable system behaviour under given constraints, while evolution in biology is usually described as leading to more complex and less probable systems. In this work we examine the hypothesis that natural evolution in biology can be predicted as well as evolution in thermodynamics by using the same rules of statistical mechanics. We assume that the most probable behaviour in each case is selected by the principle of maximum Shannon entropy (MaxEnt) and one of its corollaries – Maximum Entropy Production (MEP). For a kinetic model of ATP synthase MaxEnt/MEP correctly predicts: a) the angular position of the catalytic dwell ; b) the gearing ratio (the H+/ATP stoichiometry) dependence on the proton-motive force ; c) approximate flux-force linearity far from equilibrium. The ability to predict the design features of bio-macromolecules evolved through natural selection (1, 2) points toward the MaxEnt/MEP as common predictive framework in physics and biology (3, 4).

evolution; entropy; entropy production; ATP synthase

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