Related papers: Evolutionary Analysis of Biological Excitability
Unlike their model membrane counterparts, biological membranes are richly decorated with a heterogeneous assembly of membrane proteins. These proteins are so tightly packed that their excluded area interactions can alter the free energy…
We show that individual vibrational modes in single-molecule junctions with asymmetric molecule-lead coupling can be selectively excited by applying an external bias voltage. Thereby, a non-statistical distribution of vibrational energy can…
The possibility that evolutionary forces -- together with a few fundamental factors such as thermodynamic constraints, specific computational features enabling information processing, and ecological processes -- might constrain the logic of…
The generation of action potential brings into play specific mechanosensory stimuli manifest in the variation of membrane capacitance, resulting from the selective membrane permeability to ions exchanges and testifying to the central role…
Biological organisms are simple at heart: cells, their basic units, perform a variety of behaviors by expressing proteins from DNA-encoded genes. Gene expression though depends on sets of often-convoluted regulatory interactions known as…
A quantized physical framework, called the five-anchor model, is developed for a general understanding of the working mechanism of ion channels. According to the hypotheses of this model, the following two basic physical principles are…
While modern physics and biology satisfactorily explain the passage from the Big Bang to the formation of Earth and the first cells to present-day life, respectively, the origins of biochemical life still remain an open question. Since…
In plasma wakefield accelerators, the wave excited in the plasma eventually breaks and leaves behind slowly changing fields and currents that perturb the ion density background. We study this process numerically using the example of a FACET…
I believe an atomic biology is needed to supplement present day molecular biology, if we are to design and understand proteins, as well as define, make, and use them. Topics in the paper are molecular biology and atomic biology.…
The migration behavior of colliding cells is critically determined by transient contact-interactions. During these interactions, the motility machinery, including the front-rear polarization of the cell, dynamically responds to surface…
Emerging evidence suggests that the introns and intergenic sequences of the genomes of higher eukaryotes (the ``junk'' DNA) codes for a vast, RNA-based, genetic regulatory network. It is believed that this network is responsible for the…
We consider the reduced dynamics of a molecular chain weakly coupled to a phonon bath. With a small and constant inhomogeneity in the coupling, the excitation relaxation rates are obtained in closed form. They are dominated by transitions…
Proliferation is a defining feature of life. Through growth, division, and death, living systems consume energy and inject mass, breaking conservation laws and driving collective phenomena from biofilm formation to embryonic development.…
We report Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of a generic hydrophobic nanopore connecting two reservoirs which are initially at different Na+ concentrations, as in a biological cell. The nanopore is impermeable to water under equilibrium…
We present an atomistic theory of electronic transport through single organic molecules that reproduces the important features of the current-voltage characteristics observed in recent experiments. We trace these features to their origin in…
This article develops a fundamental insight into the behavior of neuronal membranes, focusing on their responses to stimuli measured with power spectra in the frequency domain. It explores the use of linear and nonlinear (quadratic…
Stochasticity is both exploited and controlled by cells. Although the intrinsic stochasticity inherent in biochemistry is relatively well understood, cellular variation, or 'noise', is predominantly generated by interactions of the system…
Synchronization of activity among myocytes constituting vital organs, e.g., the heart, is crucial for physiological functions. Self-organized coordination in such heterogeneous ensemble of excitable and oscillatory cells is therefore of…
Interaction of electric fields with biological cells is indispensable for many physiological processes. Thermal electrical noise in the cellular environment has long been considered as the minimum threshold for detection of electrical…
There is an intrinsic relationship between the molecular evolution in primordial period and the properties of genomes and proteomes of contemporary species. The genomic data may help us understand the driving force of evolution of life at…