Erwin Schroedinger, Francis Crick and epigenetic stability.

Biology Direct
Vasily V Ogryzko

Abstract

Schroedinger's book 'What is Life?' is widely credited for having played a crucial role in development of molecular and cellular biology. My essay revisits the issues raised by this book from the modern perspective of epigenetics and systems biology. I contrast two classes of potential mechanisms of epigenetic stability: 'epigenetic templating' and 'systems biology' approaches, and consider them from the point of view expressed by Schroedinger. I also discuss how quantum entanglement, a nonclassical feature of quantum mechanics, can help to address the 'problem of small numbers' that led Schroedinger to promote the idea of a molecular code-script for explaining the stability of biological order.

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Citations

Apr 22, 2010·Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere : the Journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life·Nathan HaydonOlin Robus
Mar 9, 2013·Bio Systems·Michael Bordonaro, Vasily Ogryzko
Dec 11, 2014·JMIR Research Protocols·Michael BordonaroTobias May
Apr 17, 2013·Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine·Richard Gordon
Mar 23, 2011·Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology·Simon Rosenfeld
Feb 13, 2013·Clinical Genetics·S T Keating, A El-Osta
Feb 28, 2015·Aging Cell·Evelyne SaadeVasily Ogryzko

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