Szathmáry E
Institute of Zoology, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
Proc Biol Sci. 1995 Jun 22;260(1359):279-86. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1995.0092.
W. Fontana & L.W. Buss (Proc. Natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91, 757 (1994) and Bull. math. Biol. 56, 1 (1994) have put forward a scheme for a theory of biological organization based on the lambda-calculus. Their key innovation was to represent, with the aid of this calculus, a certain minimal chemistry. Although this idea is very promising, their concrete formulation could be improved if suggestions for the following items were incorporated: (i) a better coding of chemical reactions; (ii) a reinterpretation of the evolutionary behaviour of autocatalytic chemical networks; (iii) a better appreciation of morphological and genetic factors; (iv) a more complete embedding of the theory into the background of relevant earlier contributions. Confusion can be stopped by the application of a proper classification of replicators (important categories being: processive and modular, limited and unlimited hereditary replicators). Suggestions to facilitate improvement are made explicit in this paper. The most challenging task would be to model the transition from processive, limited hereditary replicators to modular replicators with limited and unlimited heredity.
W. 丰塔纳和L.W. 巴斯（《美国国家科学院院刊》91, 757 (1994) 以及《数学生物学通报》56, 1 (1994)）提出了一种基于λ演算的生物组织理论方案。他们的关键创新在于借助这种演算来表示某种最小化学。尽管这个想法很有前景，但如果纳入以下几点建议，他们的具体表述可以得到改进：(i) 化学反应的更好编码；(ii) 对自催化化学网络进化行为的重新解释；(iii) 对形态学和遗传因素的更好理解；(iv) 将该理论更完整地融入相关早期贡献的背景中。通过对复制因子进行适当分类（重要类别包括：连续和模块化、有限和无限遗传复制因子）可以避免混淆。本文明确提出了有助于改进的建议。最具挑战性的任务将是对从连续、有限遗传复制因子到具有有限和无限遗传的模块化复制因子的转变进行建模。
