Cell Language Theory, The: Connecting Mind And Matter

200 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter

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

decades ago. The biology–linguistics connection was further strengthened

by the recognition of the isomorphism between cell and human languages

as discussed in Section 4.4.

Another indirect evidence for this connection came to light from a

somewhat unexpected direction. During the DIMACS (Discrete Mathematics

and Computer Science) Workshop on Bimolecular Networks: Topological

Properties and Evolution, held at Rutgers on May 11–13, 2005, Alfonso

Valencia from the National Center of Biotechnology in Spain delivered a

lecture entitled “Biodegradation network, and all what we need for its

study”. Based on his experience in data mining in the field of the protein

structure–function correlation, he expressed his pessimism about predicting

protein folds and functions from amino acid sequence data. Valencia’s pes-

simism seems to go against the prevailing presupposition of biophysicists

specializing in protein folding that three-dimensional folds of proteins

should be ultimately predictable based on their amino acid sequence infor-

mation alone, which is the core assumption of the so-called Anfinsen dogma

(see Section 2.5).

Valencia’s “pessimistic” conclusions regarding protein structure–

function correlation may be similar to what transpired in the field of the

theory of algebraic equations between the 16th and the mid-19th century

[197, pp. 261–278, Vol. I]. The following is a list of the key developments

in the history of this branch of mathematics:

(1) Ferrari (1522–1565) solved the general fourth-degree polynomial

equation of the type, x^4 + ax^3 + bx^2 + cx + d = 0 in a radical form.

(2) In 1824, Abel (1802–1829) proved that the fifth-degree polynomial

equations could not be solved in radical forms.

(3) In a paper entitled “Memoir on the conditions of solvability of equa-

tions in radicals” published in 1846, Galois (1811–1832) provided an

explanation for why the fifth-degree polynomial equations could not

be solved in radicals. In the process, Galois was led to invent the

group theory.

The analogy that I see between algebra and protein molecular biology

may be summarized as shown in Table 4.12.

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