Cell Language Theory, The: Connecting Mind And Matter

160 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter

b2861 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter “6x9”

energy conversion is presented in Figure 3.30(a) and summarized below.

It should be noted that the chemical-to-mechanical energy conversion is

synonymous with chemical reaction-induced force generation because force

and energy (or work) are related through the Second Law of Newtonian

mechanics, F = ma, where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration and,

by the definition of energy E as the ability to do work. Hence, it follows that

E = Work = Force × Distance.

The molecular mechanisms underlying the chemical-to-mechanical

energy conversion in living cells includes the following steps:

(1) Enzyme E borrows thermal energy from its environment to generate

conformational strains (called virtual conformons; see Figure 3.45)

localized at sequence-specific loci: E ↔ E†, where E† indicates a

metastable conformational state of E with local conformational

strains or virtual conformons entrapped in sequence-specific sites

within E†.

(2) E†, not E, catalyzes an exergonic chemical reaction, A → B.

(3) B stabilizes E†, leading to a partial conservation of the free energy

released from the A → B reaction as real conformons in E*. In other

words, a part of the free energy released from the A → B reaction

converts virtual conformons (indicated by E†) to real conformons

(indicated by E*).

These three steps can be viewed as the molecular mechanisms under-

lying the Circe effect that Jencks proposed as underlying enzymic cataly-

sis [74]. They are also consistent with the theories of molecular machines

and motors proposed by McClare [227] and Astumians [228, 229] and

with the ion gradient-driven torsional force generating mechanisms in the

F 0 F 1 –ATP synthase proposed by Junge [230], Wang and Oster [163, 204],

and Nath [151, 161].

3.4.6 The Conformon Hypothesis of Energy-Coupled Processes

in the Living Cell

The cell is composed of three main classes of material entities — biopoly-

mers (i.e., DNA, RNA proteins, etc.), metabolites (e.g., glucose, pyruvate,

b2861_Ch-03.indd 160 17-10-2017 11:46:59 AM