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Ontogeny of Biological Order

Nature volume 206, pages 397–398 (1965)Cite this article

Abstract

THE sequence of nucleotides in polydeoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has been established as the principal molecular determinant of heredity. Ontogeny is believed to reflect temporal patterns of DNA transcription1,2. By participation in the flow of genetic information from DNA to polyribonucleic acid (RNA) to protein and in the duplication of DNA, template-directed polymerization reactions play a key part in ontogenesis. With development the organism may achieve immense complexity. Thie communication offers an explanation of the nature of this increase in complexity, based on thermodynamic considerations of template-directed polymer synthesis.

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Author notes

  1. B. K. DAVIS

    Present address: Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University Postgraduate Medical School, Cambridge, England

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

    B. K. DAVIS

Authors
  1. B. K. DAVIS
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DAVIS, B. Ontogeny of Biological Order. Nature 206, 397–398 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1038/206397b0

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