Degeneracy and complexity in biological systems.
Degeneracy, the ability of elements that are structurally different to perform the same function or yield the same output, is a well known characteristic of the genetic code and immune systems. Here, we point out that degeneracy is a ubiquitous biological property and argue that it is a feature of complexity at genetic, cellular, system, and population levels. Furthermore, it is both necessary for, and an inevitable outcome of, natural selection.
Edelman
G M
GM
The Neurosciences Institute, La Jolla, CA 92121, USA. edelman@nsi.edu
Gally
J A
JA
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002477:Cells; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans