-2

I have heard DNA being referred to as "code", this is because it is an instruction set which dictates the bodies' properties. However, DNA (as far as I have learned), has no conditional jumps or normal jumps.

After reading the article DNA computing on Wikipedia briefly, I cannot find whether computations with DNA is Turing complete or not.

Please state why DNA is or is not Turing-complete and why.

John L.
  • 38,985
  • 4
  • 33
  • 90
a_verry_long_variable_name
  • 19
  • 1
    DNA is not a machine, just a "static" molecule. So your question is not quite relevant. –  Mar 27 '23 at 09:36
  • DNA just stores data. Is paper Turing-complete? – user253751 Mar 27 '23 at 10:20
  • I do undertand that this is a useless question, however I can refer to this if a biology teacher says that DNA is a "code". However I, genuinely thank you for your opinions, (realy). – a_verry_long_variable_name Mar 27 '23 at 12:45
  • It's a code in the same sense that binary is a code. – Pseudonym Mar 27 '23 at 13:12
  • but binary has jumps and conditional jumps, DNA is more like a hashmap, where the attributes are defined by dominenet and reccessive geenes. – a_verry_long_variable_name Mar 27 '23 at 14:33
  • 3
    "binary has jumps and conditional jumps": nonsense. Binary represents numbers. –  Mar 27 '23 at 15:13
  • binary can be interpreted differently accross different computers, although binary is just base two and can represent numbers, the interpritation matters. Pseudonym says that binary is code, this is also incorrect. I was disputing that and then you misunderstood the context. This whole conversation is about if DNA is turing complete not if binary has jumps and conditional jumps. – a_verry_long_variable_name Mar 27 '23 at 16:40
  • See the possible meanings of the word "code": https://www.dictionary.com/browse/code. You are emphasizing the incorrect meaning in this case. As the answer says, the meaning is to encode information, and hence there is no question about Turing completeness. – Dmitry Mar 27 '23 at 17:04
  • On the unrelated note, there exists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_computing, where you can use DNA to do some computations. This has nothing to do with calling DNA the "code" – Dmitry Mar 27 '23 at 17:49
  • 1
    I think the reactions here are too negative and too narrow. "Does DNA compute" is an interesting question. As a first step whether DNA is Turing complete. "Is C++ Turing complete?", "Is (the cellular automaton) Life Turing complete?" seem to be relevant questions. But the set of C++-programs is just syntax, and one needs semantics and compilers to really compute. The CA Life is just pictures and we need to interpret those as storing information for computations. Why can't we imagine the mechanisms of the cell as compilers? Ribosomes are made from proteins, proteins are specified by DNA. – Hendrik Jan Mar 27 '23 at 20:20
  • @Dmitry Thanks for the link. Actually I think this is not "unrelated". The DNA "code" specifies the translation from DNA to amino acids, and amino acids form proteins. Proteins form 3D complexes that set up machinery, compiling RNA into other proteins. – Hendrik Jan Mar 27 '23 at 20:25
  • I just updated the question, which should, I believe, make it clearer and better. This may make some comments above (and the existing answer?) out-of-date. – John L. Mar 28 '23 at 01:29
  • @a_verry_long_variable_name Turing machines do not have "conditional jumps or normal jumps", either. (This fact can be considered as a keen observation and a revolutionary simplification made by Alan Turing on how people compute.) – John L. Mar 28 '23 at 01:45
  • @HendrikJan I was thinking the same. Maybe we can consider a particular DNA as the source code and the way they are formed/combined as the syntax of the language. – Russel Mar 28 '23 at 01:56

1 Answers1

1

You seem to confuse a code understood as a way to encode information (such as the Gray code) and as a piece of program written in some programming language (such as source code and binary code).

DNA code belongs to the first meaning. The DNA code is similar to a mixed base $4^3=64$ numeration (I don't mean https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base64), though not all combinations encode distinct amino-acids. There are no instructions, let alone control instructions.