Entropy analysis of the DNA code dynamics in human chromosomes

  • Authors:
  • J.A. Tenreiro Machado;António C. Costa;Maria Dulce Quelhas

  • Affiliations:
  • Institute of Engineering of Porto, Department of Electrical Engineering, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal;Institute of Engineering of Porto, Department of Informatics Engineering, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal;National Health Institute, Medical Genetics Center, Praça Pedro Nunes, 88, 4099-028, Porto, Portugal

  • Venue:
  • Computers & Mathematics with Applications
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the most fundamental aspect of life but present day scientific knowledge has merely scratched the surface of the problem posed by its decoding. While experimental methods provide insightful clues, the adoption of analysis tools supported by the formalism of mathematics will lead to a systematic and solid build-up of knowledge. This paper studies human DNA from the perspective of system dynamics. By associating entropy and the Fourier transform, several global properties of the code are revealed. The fractional order characteristics emerge as a natural consequence of the information content. These properties constitute a small piece of scientific knowledge that will support further efforts towards the final aim of establishing a comprehensive theory of the phenomena involved in life.