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Entropic DNA.

C R Middaugh·D T Brandau·R Micanovic·G E Katzenstein
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Abstract

The presence of mobile genetic elements without apparent biological function within genomes requires explanation. It is argued that consideration of DNA as an open thermodynamic system leads to the simple hypothesis that mobile genetic material increases the internal entropy thereby lowering the free energy of the DNA relative to DNA of the same size. This phenomenon enhances the survival of such sequences by simple structural stabilization. The consequences of this idea are discussed in terms of the proposed Bekenstein limit to the entropy to energy ratio of thermodynamic systems and biological entropy/information flow.

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AnimalsBiological EvolutionDNADNA Transposable ElementsHumansThermodynamicsJournal Article

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C R Middaugh, D T Brandau, R Micanovic, G E Katzenstein. 1985. Entropic DNA.. https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-9877(85)90097-0

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