ELEMENTS OF A UNIFYING THEORY OF BIOLOGY

To discover a unifying theory of biology, it is necessary first to bel ieve in its existence and second to seek its elements. Such a theory w ould explain the regulation of the cell cycle, differentiation and the origin of life. Some elements of the theory may be obtained by consid ering both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell cycles. These elements incl ude cytoskeletal proteins, calcium, cyclins, protein kinase C, phospho rylation, transcriptional sensing, autocatalytic gene expression and t he physical properties of lipids. Other more exotic candidate elements include the dynamic enzoskeleton, ATP generation, mechanotransduction , the piezoelectric effect and resonance. Bringing these disparate ele ments together - and discovering others - will require extensive colla borations between specialists from different sciences. This can only b e achieved within the context of an integrated approach to biology.