title: Information transfer in biological systems. Part I: Calculation of the information content of some amino acids, lipids, and nucleic acid bases.
abstract: The Information Contents (IC) of some small molecules (amino acids, nucleic acid bases, lipids . . .) have been calculated by a newly developed method. A coordinate system, in which parallel, linear, saturated . . . -CnH2n- . . . chains in space serve the dimensions, has been postulated and its properties have been mathematically characterized. The system is suitable for the crude calculation and comparison of the IC-s of small molecules using conventional methods of information theory. A series of calculations has been presented to illustrate the use of the method. The importance of the IC calculations for understanding some biochemical processes (receptor-ligand bindings, enzymatic reactions) is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007257:Information Theory; D008055:Lipids; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D008055:Lipids; D009696:Nucleic Acids