On the Origin of Information in Biological Systems and in Bioids

Abstract

Some general principles of evolution and accumulation of information can be discussed independently of the special case of terrestrial life using the concepts of bioids, open systems which can exist in several steady states. Extending classical information theory, three “kinds” of information can be discussed: I₁, information representing the chemical (“chemical information”) and physical constraints, that bioids must be capable to evolve and to make operative in some environment, is shown to depend on the observer and his deficiency in the knowledge of natural laws; I₂, stochastic information depending on the part of operable systems which actually arose during evolution. It is postulated that “useful” information cannot accumulate in I₂.I₃, environmental information depending on the part of systems that survived selection, is interpreted as a mapping of sets of environmental conditions into sets of systems by the process of selection. Fitness of the environment can be shown to result as a consequence of “common information”. Individuation can modify the control of information increase by supplying negentropy. Some possibly reproducible first steps of prenucleoprotid bioid evolution, are selected for maximal information increase: Autocatalytic formation of sugars from formaldehyd, coupled to light energy through photosensitized oxidation of methane by water, and individuation by production of colloid or insoluble matter, associated with division or budding caused by osmotic pressure.