How Does Non-Ergodicity Impact the Resting State of Living Cells?

In summary: Non-ergodic fluctuations in free energy -Phase transitions in water -Critical behavior of water-Structured water is an emergent property
  • #1
Vladimir Matveev
24
7
Dear Colleagues,

I would like to submit to your court the article in which we attempt a physical analysis of living matter. Biology is a very difficult field for physics as a result errors are very likely. We would appreciate guidance on possible errors.

Prokhorenko DV and Matveev VV. The significance of non-ergodic property of statistical mechanics systems for understanding resting state of a living cell. British Journal of Mathematics & Computer Science. 2011;1(2):46-86.Abstract

A better grasp of the physical foundations of life is necessary before we can understand the processes occurring inside a living cell. In his physical theory of the cell, American physiologist Gilbert Ling introduced an important notion of the resting state of the cell. He describes this state as an independent stable thermodynamic state of a living substance in which it has stored all the energy it needs to perform all kinds of biological work. This state is characterized by lower entropy of the system than in an active state. The main contribution to this reduction in entropy is made by the cellular water (the dominant component with a concentration of 14 M) which remains in a bound quasi-crystallized state in a resting cell. When the cell becomes active the water gets desorbed and the system’s entropy goes up sharply while the free energy of the system decreases as it is used up for biological work. However, Ling’s approach is primarily qualitative in terms of thermodynamics and it needs to be characterized more specifically. To this end, we propose a new thermodynamic approach to studying Ling’s model of the living cell (Ling’s cell), the centrepiece off which is the non-ergodicity property which has recently been proved for a wide range of systems in statistical mechanics (Prokhorenko, 2009). In many ways this new thermodynamics overlaps with the standard quasi-stationary thermodynamics and is therefore compatible with the principles of the Ling cell, however a number of new specific results take into account the existence of several non-trivial motion integrals communicating with each other, whose existence follows from the nonergodicity of the system (Ling’s cell). These results allowed us to develop general thermodynamic approaches to explaining some of the well-known physiological phenomena, which can be used for further physical analysis of these phenomena using specific physical models.

Full text: http://vladimirmatveev.ru
 
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  • #2


Vladimir Matveev said:
Dear Colleagues,

I would like to submit to your court the article in which we attempt a physical analysis of living matter. Biology is a very difficult field for physics as a result errors are very likely. We would appreciate guidance on possible errors.

"Structured Water" (which seems to be the main central theme) has been proposed many times to account for cellular dynamics- Ling's papers and ideas are featured prominently in Pollack's "Cells, Gels, and the Engines of Life".

Unfortunately, there is no evidence for structured water.

This does not discount the useful themes of non-ergodicity and the glass transition in describing cellular dynamics. Paul Janmey, in particular, has done some nice work along these lines.
 
  • #3


Andy Resnick said:
"Structured Water" (which seems to be the main central theme) has been proposed many times to account for cellular dynamics- Ling's papers and ideas are featured prominently in Pollack's "Cells, Gels, and the Engines of Life".

Unfortunately, there is no evidence for structured water.

This does not discount the useful themes of non-ergodicity and the glass transition in describing cellular dynamics. Paul Janmey, in particular, has done some nice work along these lines.
Several strong evidences for existence of structured water you may find in the Pollack's presentation:
 
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FAQ: How Does Non-Ergodicity Impact the Resting State of Living Cells?

What is the non-ergodic property in statistical mechanics systems?

The non-ergodic property refers to the fact that a system's behavior over time may not be representative of its overall behavior. This means that a system may have multiple possible states, but only a subset of those states are observed over time.

How does the non-ergodic property affect our understanding of statistical mechanics systems?

The non-ergodic property challenges the traditional assumptions of statistical mechanics, which assume that a system will eventually explore all possible states and reach equilibrium. In non-ergodic systems, this may not occur, leading to different statistical predictions and a more complex understanding of the system.

Can you provide an example of a non-ergodic system in statistical mechanics?

One example of a non-ergodic system is a glass, which is a solid material that does not have a defined crystal structure. The atoms in a glass are stuck in a disordered arrangement, and the system does not explore all possible states. This leads to different properties and behavior compared to a crystal, which is an ergodic system.

What are the implications of the non-ergodic property for practical applications?

Understanding the non-ergodic property of a system is crucial for accurately predicting its behavior and making practical applications. For example, in materials science, the non-ergodic behavior of glasses must be taken into account when designing new materials with specific properties. In finance, the non-ergodicity of complex economic systems can lead to unpredictable market behavior.

How do scientists study and model non-ergodic systems in statistical mechanics?

To study and model non-ergodic systems, scientists use tools such as Monte Carlo simulations and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. These methods allow for the exploration and prediction of a system's behavior, even when it does not reach equilibrium. Additionally, experimental techniques, such as neutron scattering, can provide insights into the microscopic behavior of non-ergodic materials.

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