Natural Selection and Thermodynamics of Biological Evolution

Georgi P Gladyshev

doi:10.4236/ns.2015.73013

Abstract

The author of this article proposes that the representation of Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace’s theory on “variation and selection” in the living world is a reflection of the action of hierarchical thermodynamics. Hierarchical thermodynamics is based on the law of temporal hierarchies and on the principle of substance stability. This principle enables the transmission of thermodynamic information between lower and higher structural hierarchies, in both forward and reverse direction: from nucleic acids to higher structural hierarchies and back. The principle of substance stability, in fact, is the main dynamical and thermodynamic mechanism of natural selection. It is alleged that the natural selection of atoms, molecules, organisms, populations, and other hierarchical structures takes place under the action of a variety of internal factors within organisms and the external environmental factors that can be considered as tropisms. Forms (design) of living organisms are formed as a result of spontaneous and non-spontaneous processes that lead to the adaptation of living systems to the environment. The selection is carried out as a result of the impacts of different energy types and the principle of substance stability at all levels of hierarchical structures. Actions of tropisms are presented by various members of the generalized Gibbs equation.

Highlights

General PresentationThis article is a brief overview of selected works of the author in the field of thermodynamics of the origin of life, biological evolution and aging of living beings
Note that in 1977 the author wrote “after the concluding stages of general evolution the concentration of free energy occurs owing to the growth of the chemical component G j-im and higher order components, and owing to the G-j at the atomic component”. In these early formulations of the principle of substance stability based on hierarchical thermodynamics, I believed in the importance of the atomic component (G j-at) for understanding the direction of biological evolution
It can be argued that through the principle of substance stability [25], hierarchical thermodynamics determines the natural selection of elements, molecules and structures of the higher hierarchies during the origin of life and biological evolution

Summary

General Presentation

This article is a brief overview of selected works of the author in the field of thermodynamics of the origin of life, biological evolution and aging of living beings. The principle of substance stability describes the tendency of natural systems to seek local and general equilibria at all temporal and structural levels of organizational matter [5] It establishes a predominant direction of stable and unstable atomic and molecular movements between hierarchies. Note that in 1977 the author wrote “after the concluding stages of general evolution the concentration of free energy occurs owing to the growth of the chemical component G j-im (intermolecular) and higher order components, and owing to the G-j at the atomic component (as well as to other components not considered here)” In these early formulations of the principle of substance stability based on hierarchical thermodynamics, I believed in the importance of the atomic component (G j-at) for understanding the direction of biological evolution. One of the definitions of life based on thermodynamics is: the existence of spatially allocated polyhierarchical renewing structures in the circulation (in the cycle) of labile chemicals in the presence of liquid water on the planet

Final Remarks on the Predictions of Hierarchical Thermodynamics

Conclusion