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Genomic Error-Correcting Codes in the Living World

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Abstract

This paper is intended to complement our previous works on the necessary existence of error-correcting codes endowing genomes with the ability of being regenerated, not merely copied. It sketchily recalls some fundamental definitions and results of information theory and error-correcting codes; provides an overview of our research; shows that the disjunction of replication and regeneration enlightens the divide between germinal and somatic cells; suggests that some phenomena referred to as epigenetic may possibly find an explanation within the framework of error-correcting codes; points out some difficulties, especially those related to sexual reproduction; criticizes the template-replication paradigm, and prompts geneticists to become familiar with information theory.

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Notes

  1. An error-correcting code is best described as a set of words. In biology the word ‘code’ generally refers to an encoding rule, e.g., the genetic code. We shall see later that an error-correcting code can be generated by an encoding rule.

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Acknowledgements

The author is deeply indebted to Prof. Mark E. Samuels of the University of Montréal for helpful comments on a draft version of this paper, as well as for having provided relevant references. He is also very grateful to the two referees whose reviews were both positive and critical enough to prompt significant improvements.

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  1. La Chanatte, Le Guimand, F-26120, Chabeuil, France

    Gérard Battail

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  1. Gérard Battail
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Correspondence to Gérard Battail.

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Parts of this material have been presented at the 7-th Biosemiotics Gathering, Groningen, The Netherlands, 6–9 June 2007.

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Battail, G. Genomic Error-Correcting Codes in the Living World. Biosemiotics 1, 221–238 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-008-9019-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-008-9019-z

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