Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Information Flow
Shannon's information theory applies equally to the flow of information during replication as it does
to translation, as depicted in
Figure 1-9
. For example, in the replication of DNA during mitosis, the
information source is the original DNA, and the message is represented by the nucleotide sequence of
some combination of Adenosine, Tyrosine, Guanine, and Cytosine. This message is transmitted and
reconstituted as a second DNA molecule.
Figure 1-9. Information Theory and the Central Dogma. Information theory
applies equally to the replication, transcription, translation, and the overall
process of converting nucleotide sequences in DNA to protein.
During the replication process, there is a possibility that the noise in the system will upset this ideal
information transfer process. For example, a random mutation may occur during the replication
process because of, for example, ionizing radiation. Similarly, viruses and other sources of noise may
interfere with the replication process, resulting in an imperfect copy of the original DNA molecule.
