Universal Biology

This multidisciplinary book explores the fundamental nature of dynamical living systems and the physical principles they are based upon.

This book explores the statistical principles governing cell growth, reproduction, and adaptation. Adopting a careful balance between theory, computation and experiment, it is a valuable resource for students and researchers in physics, biology and mathematics interested in understanding the nature of life and the physical laws it is based upon.Living systems consist of diverse components and constitute a hierarchy, from molecules to cells to organisms, which adapt to external perturbations and reproduce stably. This book describes the statistical and physical principles governing cell growth and reproduction, and the mechanisms for adaptation through noise, kinetic memory, and robust cell differentiation through cell to cell interaction and epigenetics. The laws governing rate, direction, and constraints of phenotypic evolution are examined from the perspective of microscopic units (molecules) and macroscopic states (cells), with a focus on maintaining consistency between these length and temporal scales. By integrating theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches, this book offers novel insights into biology from a physicist's perspective and provides a detailed picture of the universal characteristics of living systems. It is indispensable for students and researchers in physics, biology and mathematics interested in understanding the nature of life and the physical principles it is based upon.