DNA/Student Level
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| Information processing, an analogy between biology and computer science.[1] | |
| Biology | Computer science |
| 1. Digital alphabet consists of bases A, C, T, G | 1. Digital alphabet consists of 0, 1 |
| 2. Codons consist of three bases | 2. Computer bits form bytes |
| 3. Genes consist of codons | 3. Files consist of bytes |
| 4. Promoters indicate gene locations | 4. File-allocation table indicates file locations |
| 5. DNA information is transcribed into hnRNA and processed into mRNA | 5. Disc information is transcribed into RAM |
| 6. mRNA information is translated into proteins | 6. RAM information is translated onto a screen or paper |
| 7. Genes may be organized into operons or groups with similar promoters | 7. Files are organized into folders |
| 8. "Old" genes are not destroyed; their promoters become nonfunctional | 8. "Old" files are not destroyed; references to their location are deleted |
| 9. Entire chromosomes are replicated | 9. Entire discs can be copied |
| 10. Genes can diversify into a family of genes through duplication | 10. Files can be modified into a family of related files |
| 11. DNA from a donor can be inserted into host chromosomes | 11. Digital information can be inserted into files |
| 12. Biological viruses disrupt genetic instructions | 12. Computer viruses disrupt software instructions |
| 13. Natural selection modifies the genetic basis of organism design | 13. Natural selection procedures modify the software that specifies a machine design |
| 14. A successful genotype in a natural population outcompetes others | 14. A successful website attracts more "hits" than others |
References
- ↑ Stanley Rice and John McArthur (2002) Computer Analogies, Journal of College Science Teaching 32 No. 3, p. 176-181