DNA Structure and the Golden Ratio Revisited

B-DNA, the informational molecule for life on earth, appears to contain ratios structured around the irrational number 1.618…, often known as the “golden ratio”. This occurs in the ratio of the length:width of one turn of the helix; the ratio of the spacing of the two helices; and in the axial struc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Stuart Henry Larsen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-10-01
Series:Symmetry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/10/1949
Description
Summary:B-DNA, the informational molecule for life on earth, appears to contain ratios structured around the irrational number 1.618…, often known as the “golden ratio”. This occurs in the ratio of the length:width of one turn of the helix; the ratio of the spacing of the two helices; and in the axial structure of the molecule which has ten-fold rotational symmetry. That this occurs in the information-carrying molecule for life is unexpected, and suggests the action of some process. What this process might be is unclear, but it is central to any understanding of the formation of DNA, and so life.
ISSN:2073-8994