Biological laws are considered quite rare. They describe patterns or organizational principles that are widespread. Although these laws are softer than the absolutes of mathematics or physics, they help us better understand the complex processes that govern life. However, life seems to require at least some degree of instability. This should be regarded as a biological universality, according to the idea’s proponent, John Tower, a molecular biologist at the University of Southern California.
Most scientific examples relate to the conservation of materials or energy, thus reflecting a tendency toward stability. For instance, according to Allen’s rule, formulated in 1877, warm-blooded animals in cold regions need thicker limbs with a smaller surface area to retain body heat. In contrast, the opposite is true in warmer regions. Yet, as is often the case in the biological world, there are exceptions: for example, the short-legged bush dogs that inhabit Central and South America.
Another example of biological “rules” involves recurring structures that adhere to mathematical laws of statics as they increase in size, such as the ever-expanding spiral of a nautilus shell. These structures, found in many biological systems, are believed to allow for energy and material conservation.
Another instance of a clever law is how bees construct hexagonal honeycombs. “Self-similar structures, including logarithmic spirals, are considered the most efficient way to increase the size of a structure without changing its shape or compromising its integrity,” noted John Tower.
However, his concept of “selectively advantageous instability” challenges this trend of resource conservation in biological systems, as reported by Science Alert. The scientist argues that at least some instability is a fundamental biological necessity, even if it leads to resource loss. “Selectively advantageous instability increases the complexity of the system, and this heightened complexity has potential benefits,” explained Tower. These benefits include the ability to change and thus adapt at all biological levels, from molecular to population.
“Even the simplest cells contain proteases and nucleases and regularly degrade and replace their proteins and RNA, indicating that selectively advantageous instability is essential for life,” the scientist stated. The need for instability inevitably leads to energy and resource losses, as well as the accumulation of genetic mutations, which can be either harmful or beneficial. “This is how we arrive at biological aging,” Tower suggested. However, without instability and its drawbacks, life would not be able to adapt and thrive in changing times and spaces. Thus, all living things on Earth are forced to make compromises, caught in a tug-of-war between the demands for stability and instability. The research findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Aging.