John Tower, professor of biological sciences at USC Dornsife, published his idea on May 16 in the journal Frontiers in Aging might have discovered a new rule of biology focusing on evolution and aging that questions the traditional belief that most living organisms favor stability over instability, as stability is thought to demand less energy and fewer resources.
| Date | May 16, 2024 |
| Source | University of Southern California |
| Summary | A potential new ‘rule of biology’ has emerged, enhancing our understanding of evolution and aging. |
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A New Rule of Biology Focusing on Evolution and Aging:
- Tower’s rule, focuses on instability, specifically a concept called “selectively advantageous instability” (SAI), where some volatility in biological components, like proteins and genetic material, benefits cells.
- Tower’s rule challenges the long-held belief that most living organisms prefer stability over instability because stability demands less energy and fewer resources. For example, hexagons frequently appear in nature, such as in honeycombs and insect eyes, because they are stable and require minimal material to cover a surface.
- Tower posits that SAI is fundamental to biology. “Even the simplest cells contain proteases and nucleases, regularly degrading and replacing their proteins and RNAs, indicating that SAI is essential for life,” he explains.
How The New Rule of Biology Focusing on Evolution:
- He also asserts that SAI is crucial to evolution.
- As cells carry out their functions, building and degrading various unstable components, they exist in one of two states: one with the unstable component present and one without it.
- Natural selection may operate differently on the two cell states. “This can lead to the maintenance of both a normal gene and a gene mutation within the same cell population if the normal gene is advantageous in one state and the mutation is advantageous in the other,” he says. This genetic diversity enhances the adaptability of cells and organisms.
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How The New Rule of Biology Focusing on Aging:
- SAI may also be a key factor in aging and more
- Selectively advantageous instability might contribute to aging. Creating and replacing unstable components within cells consumes materials and energy, and breaking them down requires additional energy.
- Moreover, since SAI creates two potential states for a cell, allowing normal and mutated genes to coexist, if the mutated gene is harmful, this may contribute to aging, Tower suggests.
Implications of New Rule:
- Beyond evolution and aging, SAI has other significant implications.
- “Science has been increasingly interested in concepts like chaos theory, criticality, Turing patterns, and ‘cellular consciousness,'” Tower says. “Research indicates that SAI plays a crucial role in producing these phenomena.”
- Due to its widespread presence in biology and its extensive implications, SAI may represent a new rule of biology, he concludes.
The new rule of biology focusing on evolution and aging suggests that biological instability, while requiring more energy, provides significant adaptive advantages by maintaining genetic diversity and enhancing cellular resilience.
FAQ:
1: What is the relationship between evolution and aging?
Evolution and aging are interconnected, as the process of natural selection influences the traits that affect lifespan and aging. Traits beneficial for reproduction may persist, even if they contribute to aging later in life.
2: How does natural selection impact aging?
Natural selection favors traits that enhance reproductive success, which can sometimes lead to aging-related traits becoming prominent if they do not negatively affect early-life reproduction.