Studying Metabolism Through Atmospheric Reaction Systems
Author Information
Author(s): Petter Holme, Mikael Huss, Sang Hoon Lee
Primary Institution: Umeå University
Hypothesis
Can reaction systems of planetary atmospheres serve as null-models for studying metabolic networks in an evolutionary perspective?
Conclusion
The study finds that metabolic networks have a more complex modular organization than atmospheric networks, indicating traces of evolved functionality.
Supporting Evidence
- Metabolic networks and atmospheric networks share large-scale features due to fundamental chemical properties.
- The degree distributions of the human metabolic and Earth's atmospheric networks are similar in substance graphs but differ in reaction graphs.
- Metabolic networks exhibit a more complex modular organization compared to atmospheric networks.
Takeaway
This study compares how the networks of reactions in our bodies are similar to those in the atmospheres of planets, showing that both are shaped by the same basic rules but have evolved differently.
Methodology
The study uses graph-based analysis techniques to compare the topological properties of metabolic networks and atmospheric reaction systems.
Limitations
The datasets used are crude and the conclusions are somewhat hypothetical in nature.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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