NEW MECHANISM OF LIFE Painting

NEW MECHANISM OF LIFE The state of ‘being alive’ is difficult to characterize because ‘life’ is currently defined using superficial features or long-term processes, rather than a single physical property unique to living things. For instance, biological molecules exhibit a vast range of structures and attributes, and a shared property is elusive. However, current knowledge suggests that key biomolecules governing a range of fundamental processes within cells do share one specific characteristic: all respond to energy absorption and dissipation by changing conformation and thus physical shape along one plane. Cyclic, repeated uniplanar shape changes induce unidirectional motion (linear or rotational movement) in molecules and the processes they govern, which is the basis of mechanistic activity and work within cells. In contrast, molecules in non-living systems do not change conformation in a way that performs work. The premise of energy conversion into directed motion suggests that life is a process whereby self-governing networks of molecular ‘heat engines’ create structure, whereas non-living structures are created and maintained by non-heat engine processes. A definition of life based on autonomous heat engine networks does not depend on any specific type of molecule or chemical process, and is potentially applicable to chemical environments different from those on Earth. OIL ON CANVAS ABSTRACT

Painting:Oil on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:35.4 W x 59.1 H x 0 D in

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