Is There Symmetry In life? : A Question Of Scientific & Semantic Perspectives & Perceptions

As I mentioned in the preceding blog, my earnest effort to write a comprehensive set of essays on Symmetry had turned into an interesting discussion about the connection (or disconnection) between symmetry and life.  In the event, it all depended on one's perspective and perception -- in other words, it was just a question of science vs. semantics!
 
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Glossary
(in same order as in text)

For scientific terms, please see Glossary in preceding blog.  
Semantic  --  Concerning meaning in language and logic.  (Semantics  -- Related branch of linguistics). 
Balasubramanian  --  Pronounced  Baala-Subra-Manyan  ('u' as in 'put').
Hyderabad  --  A State capital in South India. 

P.M. Bhargava  --  Internationally known Indian scientist, dynamic pioneer in the field of cellular and molecular biology in India.

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THE HINDU

Sunday Magazine

23 February 1992
Of symmetry and life

     The merits of a scientific  paper and the distinction of its author are often measured in terms of the number of times they are cited by other scientists in their own papers published in reputable scientific journals.  This is called the 'Citation Index'.

     All scientists would naturally be glad to see their papers appearing in important scientific journals, but usually they are even more pleased to see their findings or views figuring in the contributions of other distinguished scientists.  It makes no difference normally whether there is agreement or controversy ;  the mere fact that one's scientific output has made an impact on the mind of a peer is usually a sufficient reward for one's intellectual labors.

     I am not a scientist, and even my general knowledge is not superior to that of the average layman.  Therefore I was not only surprised but was quite thrilled to see that something I had written recently was taken rather seriously by an eminent scientist, who even offered a forceful rejoinder. 

     I am, of course, referring to the article 'Lack of symmetry and life', written by Prof. D. Balasubramanian of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, in The Hindu Science Supplement (Dec. 25).  This was in response to my Articulations on symmetry (Nov. 17 and Dec. 1).

Scientific adventure

     Prof. Balasubramanian and I are old friends  But in our past interaction he had encountered an official purser and not a self-styled thinker, for I used to be the financial adviser of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) when he was a deputy director of CCMB, with which he is now associated as an independent scientist.  The laboratory was in the process of being set up as a constituent unit of CSIR at that time, and vast resources had to be found for the project.

     Even before the required infrastructure had fully materialized, the institution existed in the buildings of the Regional Research Laboratory, Hyderabad (now known as the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology), and was already engaged in significant basic research which was attracting world-wide attention.

     Quite frankly, I was dazzled by the brilliance and breath-taking vision of the senior scientists who were shaping this center of excellence under the dynamic leadership of Dr. P.M. Bhargava.  I never questioned their credentials or even tried to hide my admiration for their adventure ;  but I used to grill them hard all the same, so that I would be able to present their demands knowledgeably and effectively to the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry.  Their response was always positive :  they took special pains to make a layman like me understand the intricacies of their mission and its far-reaching implications.

     In other words, together we sought to create a symmetry between the scientific objectives and the financial constraints.  CCMB as it has finally taken shape provides the evidence that we did achieve a large measure of success in our efforts to reconcile these conflicting factors. 

     Every institution is like a living organism :  its proper growth and good health depend on the existence of a satisfactory balance between the different elements which come together to constitute it.  In every human endeavor there is an inherent conflict between aspirations and limitations.  Accomplishment depends, among other things, on an effective equilibrium.  Within a physical and visual frame of reference, symmetry is concerned with shapes, either identical, proportionate or reflective ;  but on a conceptual plane, equilibrium and symmetry would be synonymous even if the different elements which contribute to the equilibrium are disparate or asymmetrical in shape or character. 

Startling conclusion

     Now let us consider Prof.Balasubramanian's argument.  Reacting to my statement that "symmetry exists in nature, science, art and other concerns of civilized life", he observes that "nature does not necessarily prefer symmetry or order."   He explains the concept of 'entropy' (which represents the imperfect conversion of thermal energy into mechanical work, and also concerns the disorganization of the universe), and says that "some of the most important facets of nature and natural laws seem to underscore this lack of order or symmetry."   As regards sub-atomic particles, he points out that the traditional view that their behavior has a built-in symmetry has now been questioned by some leading scientists. 
 
     Turning to cellular and molecular biology, which is his area of specialization, he observes as follows :  "Molecules can be right-handed or left-handed in shape.  Generally the two forms occur in equal amounts . . .  The distinct signature of life is the presence of asymmetrical molecules which go to make it . . .  All living systems on earth contain polymeric DNA as the master molecule which controls hereditary and metabolic events in the cells . . ."

     Prof. Balasubramanian goes on to say that there can be no life unless there is "preferential enrichment of asymmetrical molecules."  From these observed facts, he draws the startling conclusion that "where there is symmetry, there is no active pulsating life."  

Symmetry in disparity

     I am not competent to question any of the observations which precede the above conclusion ;  but having regard to the definition of symmetry -- which is a matter of language and not of science -- I do feel that such a conclusion does not logically follow from the facts cited.  This will be evident if we scrutinize the nature of the nexus between synchronization and symmetry. 

     It is obvious that symmetry is inherent in sychronization.  The uniform adoption of the units of time on a global scale provides an outstanding example of this.  The simpler form of synchhronization is that which is achieved between similar elements.  A flock of birds in leisurely flight, a formation of jet aircraft swishing across the sky, and the stately view of marching soldiers and martial bands illustrate this.
 
     In many contexts, however, synchronization is achieved between disparate things.  The actual time at no two longitudes can be the same, but within any given country a national standard time is adopted to avoid confusion.  The traffic of vehicles in the modern world is fraught with the risk of confusion and chaos, for the types of vehicles as well as the potential velocity of similar ones are widely divergent.  However, there is remarkable order in the way the fabric of traffic is woven on the roads, railways, ocean routes and airways of the world ;  a collision occurs when a thread snaps. The parts of a sophisticated engine are  of many different kinds, but they are all in harmony with one another and the whole engine.

Harmony and balance

     According to the Oxford English Dictionary, 'symmetry' means, among other things, the following :  (a) harmony of parts with each other and the whole, and (b) the condition or quality of being well-balanced.  In the light of this authentic definition, the second set of illustrations given above implies that proper synchronization reconciles disparate or even clashing elements to achieve symmetry in terms of one of its widest connotations. 

     Now, what  is life if not a marvelous example of synchronization?  Is there any mechanism fabricated by man which is more intricate than the advanced forms of life?  In the context of physiology, the OED further defines symmetry as 'harmonious working of the bodily functions" -- could that not also be a definition of life itself? 

     It is not my intention to suggest that everything in the universe and in our world is in perfect order.  My exercise has only been concerned with observing how far symmetry does exist in nature and in our lives.  Even when we forcefully outline a picture of harmony as it exists, we cannot avoid being acutely aware of the contradictions which also exist. 

     We had noted in an earlier essay that the symmetry in science is only a reflection of the symmetry in nature ;  but scientific and technological progress itself tends in a way to undermine the essential symmemtry of nature -- for it is increasingly polluting the environment with impure and ecologically damaging substances, and altering the character of living organisms through cosmetic or genetic interference.  No integral observation of the reality can legitimately ignore this obvious paradox.

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PostScript, 2018
A question of credentials

I had mentioned in this article that I never questioned the credentials of the senior scientists in CCMB.  That was quite true after I came to know them well ;  but in my initial encounter with Dr. P.M. Bhargava, I did ask him to show me his credentials for demanding exceptionally massive funding and very special dispensations.  He flew into a rage instantly, and refused to answer my question at first ;  but on cooler reflection, he did give me a clear insight into his track record and future potential, with convincing evidence -- which laid the foundation for an extremely productive rapport between us, making us close partners in an exciting and successful project of institution-building.  But that, as they say, is another story!

'No Symmetry In Life' : An Eminent Scientist Responds To My Reflections On Symmetry

I had just finished writing my third and final essay on Symmetry (please see the preceding blog) and mailed it to THE HINDU, when the newspaper published a forceful argument by an eminent scientist in response to the first two essays, asserting that symmetry is not a characteristic feature of life.   

The author, Dr. D. Balasubramanian, and I were old friends.  He was a Deputy Director of the Center for Cellular & Molecular Biology in Hyderabad -- a constituent unit of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research in New Delhi -- when CCMB was physically and technically being built in the 1980s ;  and as CSIR's friendly Financial Adviser, I was a discerning source of constant financial and moral support.  He was (and still is!) writing regularly in the Science & Technology section of THE HINDU, and had won the UNESCO's Kalinga prize for popularization of science in 1997.   

Finding it difficult to pronounce his name?  Try Baala-Subra-Manyan  ('u' as in 'put') -- there you are!  Or just call him Bala, as his friends do!

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Glossary & annotations
(in same order as in text)

Hyderabad  --  A State Capital in South India.
New Delhi  --  Capital of India.
Thermodynamics  --  Science exploring relationship between heat and other forms of energy.
Nutrinos  --  Sub-atomic particles similar to electrons but having no electrical charge, with extremely small mass.
Macroscopic  --  Visible to naked eye (among other meanings).
Beta ray  --  An energetic sub-atomic particle.

Molecule  --  Minute basic component of matter, consisting of two or more chemically bonded atoms. 

Valency  --  Number of bonds which a given element's atoms can form.
Amino acids  --  Biologically significant chemical compounds, generally containing carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, 
Chirality  (pronounced 'kairality') --  Preference of matter for asymmetry. 
Polymeric  --  Pertaining to chemical compound with large molecules made of similar smaller molecules.
DNA  (Deoxyribo-nucleic acid)  --  A macro-molecule encoding genetic characteristics of life forms.
Deoxiribose  --  a deoxy sugar (in which a hydrogen atom replaces a hydroxyl group -- never mind what that means!).
Double helix  --  Twin-stranded molecular structure of nucleic acids. 

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THE HINDU
Science, Technology,  Engineering
25 December 1991

Lack of symmetry and life

     "If one took a careful look at things one would realize that symmetry exists on a wide scale in nature, science, art and other concerns of civilized life."  So writes Mr. M.V. Ramakrishnan in his two-part 'Articulations' article in The Hindu Sunday Magazine of November 17 and December 1, 1991.

     Interesting as it is, this reflection unconsciously highlights but one analytical mode of the human mind.  This mode uses patterns and symmetry as bases for analysis, and naturally finds them in many things that it perceives and analyzes.  A case of what you seek, or "I think, therefore it is" -- or Cogito ergo est, to paraphrase the famous remark of the 16th-century French philosopher-scientist Rene Descartes, who said Cogito ergo sum or "I think, therefore I am."

Powerful role

     The tendency of the human mind to recognize patterns and deduce order within them cannot be gainsaid.  Symmetry plays such an extremely powerful role in such analysis that the mind actually 'fills in.'  The accompanying picture shows four black discs with bites taken out of them.  The four incomplete discs are placed symmetrically in a shaded background.  The background prompts the brain to fill in the outline and leads one into perceiving the illusory circle as if it is actually drawn. 

     Professor V.S. Ramachandran of the University of California at San Diego has been working on this aspect of the brain which is best termed as visual psychophysics.  The key point is the psycho part in the term, as he shows that it is the mind that does the filling in, to aid pattern recognition.  Showing such pictures at a recent lecture at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Prof. Ramachandran wondered if a computer would do such 'filling in' -- or even whether other animals would do so, or would they perceive the pattens as incomplete sketches.  "Cogito, ergo est" or "Cogito, ergo sum"?

Chaos in entropy

     It is actually rather uncomfortable for the human mind to discover that nature does not necessarily prefer symmetry or order.  In fact, some of the more important facets of nature and natural laws seem to underscore the lack of order and symmetry.  The concept of entropy, borrowed from thermodynamics and applicable to even societal processes, is one such.  Denoting disorder, randomization and dissipation of energy, it is indicative of the downhill trend that is built into natural processes.  

     Nicolas Leonard Sadi Carnot (1796-1832), a French physicist and pioneer in the study of the efficiency of steam engines, showed that no engine can ever be 100 per cent efficient.  There will always be a loss due to friction and other dissipative pocesses. This discovery was soon found to be not so recondite after all, but applicable to any situation where energy is exchanged or transformed.  It paved the way for the realization that nothing can come out of nothing, and that it is not possible to ever build a perpetual-motion machine that operates efficiently forever.  With time, the system will tend towards losing order and gaining entropy.  

Time's arrow

     Hence the pithy statement that entropy is time's arrow.  It is as if the clock of time unwinds.  One cannot wind back this clock of an isolated system.  One cannot win, and what is worse, also break even.  Friction, dissipation and entropy take care of that.  The universe itself, being isolated from anything else, unwinds towards dissipation and greater entropy.  It is isolated by definition -- since if there is anything else, that would be included as part of the universe. 

     Time is thus the direction in which the order or the system decreases or the entropy increases.  There is therefore no inherent symmetry in the natural history of the universe itself. 

     The remarkable point about thermodynamic laws is that they are applicable to all systems -- from a collection of neutrinos in an ensemble of human populations to the universe itself.  Whether the universe began with a big bang of primal matter/energy at the start of time and flows downhill since, or whether it is a steady state of cycles . . .  it is an one-way street that goes towards greater entropy or disorder.  No symmetry here, in the largest possible perspective.  The second law of thermodynamics dictates it in the macroscopic world.

     When man analyzes the nature and behavior of matter, he looks for pattern, repetition, symmetry, correspondence and connections between parameters that he uses in the analysis.  Some of the more important parameters concern the position (the co-ordinates) of the object of study , its motion, electric charge, magnetism, and so on.

     In the description of sub-atomic particles, one particularly interesting parameter concerns the symmetry properties of these particles.  For quite some time, a major rule concerning the behavior of sub-atomic particles was that it has an in-built symmetry.  This is termed conservation of parity, where parity refers to a type of symmetry analogous to that which exists between the left and the right hands. 

     About 40 years ago, however, Professor (Mrs.) Wu of New York found indications in certain experiments involving the release of beta rays, that parity was not conserved.  The system and the experimental set-up themselves were symmetric, with no bias towards one-handedness or the other, yet the stream of beta rays corkscrewing their way out of the system showed a bias towards one-handedness over the other. 

'Weak interactions'

     Now, one of the four basic forces of nature is the so-called 'weak interactions', which is manifested in the Wu experiments.  The observation that parity is not maintained in these interactions therefore leads to the important but unsettling conclusion that nature may inherently display asymmetric behavior.  Subsequent to this, two other American scientists also of Chinese origin, C.N. Yang and T.D. Lee, confirmed the property and provided the theoretical perspective, for which they received the Nobel prize in Physics. 

      An even more remarkable manifestation of nature's asymmetric tendencies occurs in the living world.  All living beings are made of molecules, and in particular carbon-containing ones.   The carbon atom has a valency of four, and these four arms of the atom are flung out in space, making the molecule three-dimensional and thus analyzable in terms of symmetry operations. 

     One of the most notable findings in chemistry is that molecules can be right-handed or left-handed in shape.  Generally the two forms occur in equal amounts, have the same properties, and can be distinguished from the way they interact with polarized light (such as the one coming through plastic sun-glasses).  

Pasteur's finding

     A momentous discovery was made a century ago by Louis Pasteur, who showed that microbes contain sugar molecules that are preferentially right-handed and amino acids which are left-handed.  He asserted that all life forms are to be recognized through their ability to prefer and enrich molecules of one-handedness or chirality over the other.

      In contrast, the inorganic world is symmetric and abounds in materials and molecules where both right-handed and left-handed forms occur in exactly equal amounts.  In othe rwords, the distinct signature of life is the presence of asymmetrical molecules which go to make it.

Two-stranded pigtail

     What Pasteur found as life's signature has been borne out by molecular biology.  All living systems on earth contain polymeric DNA as the master molecule which controls heredity and metabolic events in the cells.  And the DNA in all cells is made exclusively of the right-handed form of the sugar deoxyribose.
 
     On top of this asymmetry, the long molecular chain of DNA winds upon itself in the form of a pigtail with two strands, or as a spiral staircase, as a double helix, with the winding in the right-handed mode rather than the other way.  This leads to the further feature of dissymmetry which is defined with respect to a mirror-like plane of reflection.

     Asymmetry is defined with respect to inversion at a center or point.  Inorganic substances in general are not asymmetric but can occasionally be organized in a dissymmetric way.  A typical example is quartz which is a form of silica and by itself symmetric.  When organized as a crystal, the individual silica units can be put up dissymmetrically as a right-handed spiral or as its mirror image, a left-handed helical arrangement.

     When the crystal is dissolved and the single silica molecules are obtained, the handedness is lost and the system is symmetric again.  On the other hand, when a molecule of life such as DNA is broken down, the dissemmetry is gone but the resultant deoxyribose is still asymmetrical. 

Symmetry in death?

     Handedness or chirality is such a manifest feature of life that one can actually detect sneaking small amounts of molecules of the wrong handedness (right-handed amino acids or left-handed sugars) in tissues that are ageing or dead, such as the eye lens or the tooth enamel.  Death is characterized by the inability of the system to handle or enrich asymmetric molecules preferentially.  This feature is so vital in life and death that it is exploited in the search for extra-terrestrial life. 

     Samples from the Moon and Mars have been analyzed, as also organic matter from meteorites that have fallen on earth from space.  To date, none of the extra-terrestrial organic matter has shown any preferential enrichment of asymmetrical molecules.  Based on this, it can be tentatively inferred that as of now, there is no life detected in outer space.  From microbes to Martian matter is a unified theme :  where there is symmetry there is no active, pulsating life.
 
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PostScript, 2018
Check and counter-check

When I read Dr. Bala's  article, I felt like sitting in front of a chess board and facing a formidable champion!  With the asymmetrical leaps and bounds of his twin knights he had certainly pushed my king into a tight corner ;  but with the smooth movements of my linguistic rooks and queen, I mounted a strong counter-attack.  I have no idea whether either of us could have won the game :  I was quite happy to call it a draw!  

                            (Next :  A question of Science vs. semantics)