Information and Entroypy

Question 1

What is stability?

Answer 1

Constancy of information content

Through generations

Question 2

What is fidelity?

Answer 2

Accuracy

Relates to cells going through mitosis

Question 3

What is the difference between aperiodic and periodic?

Answer 3

Aperiodic- complex, random, stores more info

Periodic- simple, patterned

Question 4

What were the two possible primitive genetic materials? Describe each based on stability and fidelity.

Answer 4

Inorganic crystals & nucleic acids

Inorganic - high stability, poor fidelity
Nucleic acids - modest stability, poor fidelity

Question 5

Why can’t silicon be used as genetic material?

Answer 5

Silicon is too stable, it doesn’t allow room for adaptations

Question 6

Describe RNA

Answer 6

Less stable than DNA, more error prone, inherent redundancy, not autocatalytic

Question 7

Describe DNA

Answer 7

More stable than RNA, less error prone, inherent redundancy, not autocatalytic

Question 8

Why might RNA have came first?

Answer 8

It carries info like DNA, can catalyze info like proteins, selection favors variants with effective replication

Question 9

Why is having a boundary helpful?

Answer 9

Protects from surroundings and controls access to information
No control = more errors
It allows for information