Seven governing principles in biology
Abstract
In physical science such as physics and chemistry, there are governing principles that are universal and applicable to all relevant systems, including energy conservation, entropy increase, uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics, and chemical equilibrium. However, what are governing principles in biology that are unique to all living systems? After collecting opinions and thoughts from diverse scientists and engineers all over the world, I summarize seven governing principles or laws in biology: central dogma, evolution, biological robustness, regeneration, reproduction, development, and causality. Some of these are not necessarily unique in biological systems from a reductionist’s point of view (e.g., causality), and others are applicable predominantly to eukaryotes (e.g., reproduction and development). Notably, many engineering systems have mimicked biological systems to enhance their performance. In this perspective article, I discuss these principles to better understand the rules of life and help construct improved engineering systems that we can use and control in an ethical, safe, and rational way.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 03, 2023
- Source ID
- 10.3389/fsybi.2023.1296513
Entities
People
- Tae Seok Moon
Organizations
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- National Institutes of Health
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Department of Agriculture
- United States Department of Energy
- United States Environmental Protection Agency