title: A physical characterization of biological information and communication system model of ecosystems.
abstract: What is information for living organisms? An answer to this question is given on a physical basis and a contrast between genetic information and sensory information is stressed with a relation to information theory. A simple model of an environment of living organisms is investigated on the basis of communication systems model proposed by the author and a cost of information transmission is taken into consideration through capacity cost theory. It is shown that channel capacity of information theory can be interpreted as an environment, and furthermore that a large diversity of genetic messages needs a large capacity of the environment. In addition, a definition of life in terms of information is proposed and a unified view on life processes is suggested.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D003142:Communication; D004247:DNA; D004777:Environment; D005399:Fishes; D007257:Information Theory; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004247:DNA