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From: jillery <69jpil69@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: talk.origins
Subject: A new biological rule?
Date: Sun, 02 Jun 2024 04:17:57 -0400
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<https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/rule-of-biology-centered-on-instab=
ility/>

Based on this cited article:

<https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2024.1376060/full>

=46rom the abstract:
***************************
Rules of biology typically involve conservation of resources. For
example, common patterns such as hexagons and logarithmic spirals
require minimal materials, and scaling laws involve conservation of
energy. Here a relationship with the opposite theme is discussed,
which is the selectively advantageous instability (SAI) of one or more
components of a replicating system, such as the cell. By increasing
the complexity of the system, SAI can have benefits in addition to the
generation of energy or the mobilization of building blocks. SAI
involves a potential cost to the replicating system for the materials
and/or energy required to create the unstable component, and in some
cases, the energy required for its active degradation. SAI is
well-studied in cells. Short-lived transcription and signaling factors
enable a rapid response to a changing environment, and turnover is
critical for replacement of damaged macromolecules. The minimal gene
set for a viable cell includes proteases and a nuclease, suggesting
SAI is essential for life. SAI promotes genetic diversity in several
ways. Toxin/antitoxin systems promote maintenance of genes, and SAI of
mitochondria facilitates uniparental transmission. By creating two
distinct states, subject to different selective pressures, SAI can
maintain genetic diversity. SAI of components of synthetic replicators
favors replicator cycling, promoting emergence of replicators with
increased complexity. Both classical and recent computer modeling of
replicators reveals SAI. SAI may be involved at additional levels of
biological organization. In summary, SAI promotes replicator genetic
diversity and reproductive fitness, and may promote aging through loss
of resources and maintenance of deleterious alleles.
************************

AIUI there is a tension between stasis and diversity.  During times of
environmental stability, it's advantageous to become increasingly
specialized to those static environmental conditions, which would
allow them to outcompete those less specialized.  OTOH during times of
environmental instability, it's advantageous to develop multiple
random varieties aka genetic diversity, on the random chance that some
of those new varieties would be more fit to the new conditions, and
being more fit would naturally outcompete those less fit; no designer
required.

--
To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge