THE PHYSICS OF BIOLOGY

Abstract

Biological processes seem magical from the standpoint of physics. Simple biological processes such as cell division and protein synthesis take place billions of times a day. Molecules rapidly move into place to form intricate structures which can in turn rapidly dissipate. The physicist asks: What are the forces that move these molecules just to the right place at the right time? Here it is proposed that there are attractive forces between complementary sites on biological molecules. Like a self-assembling jigsaw puzzle, edges that fit together are attracted to each other. An example of how such a force could arise is given by complementary charge distributions, in which binding sites have identical charge distributions except of opposites charges. Attractive electrostatic forces between complementary sites sum coherently, leading to an enhancement that can "drive" living processes. It is proposed that internal electric fields are generated by current flows in cells arising from ionic pumps, and that these fields align polar molecules to form polymers that parallel field lines.