Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 2.4
The universality of the Generalized Franck-Condon Principle (GFCP), or the Principle
of Slow and Fast Processes (PSFP). GFCP (or PSFP) has been postulated to act at the levels of
molecules, chemical reactions, the origin of life, receptors, enzymes, photosynthesis, cells, brain
processes, and the biological evolution
Level
Fast (F)
Slow (S)
Overall process (P)
1. Molecules
(Fig.
2.3
)
Electronic
transitions
(intramolecular)
Nuclear movements
(intramolecular)
Absorption or emission
of photons
2. Chemical
reactions
(Fig.
2.4
)
Electron transfer
(intermolecular)
Nuclear movements
(intermolecular)
Oxidation-reduction
reactions
3. Origin of life
(Fig.
13.3
)
Thermal motions
Heating-cooling
cycle attending
the rotation
of the Earth
Self-replication
Ligand diffusion into
and out of the
binding pocket
Conformational
change of the
receptor
Molecular recognition by
receptors and enzymes
5. Enzymes
(Fig.
7.5
)
Electronic
rearrangements
Conformational
changes of
enzymes
Enzymic catalysis
6. Photon
receptors
Light-induced
electronic
excitation of
chromophores
Conformational
change of
reaction center
proteins
Photosynthesis
(conversion of
radiation energy to
chemical energy)
7. Metabolic
network
Local metabolic
fluctuations
Intracellular
microenviron-
mental changes
Gene-directed
intracellular processes
8. Cells
Intracellular
metabolic
fluctuations
Extracellular
environmental
changes
Goal-directed cell
functions (i.e., space-
and time-dependent
gene expression)
9. Brains
(Fig.
15.21
)
Neuronal firings
Neural assembling
and
disassembling
Micro-macro coupling
through neural
synchrony
10. Evolution
(a) DNA/RNA
polymerization
reactions (Devo)
(a) Conformational
changes of DNA
and chromatins
(a) Gene expression
(b) Life cycles of
organisms (Evo)
(b) Geological and
environmental
changes
(b) Natural selection
Another example may be provided by the muscle (see Fig.
15.19
):
Actomyosin
!
Myofilaments
!
Myofibrils
!
MuscleFiber
!
Fascicle
!
Muscle
(2.28)
