Micron-sized systems: In carbo
vs. in silico
6
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 154
Information: A quantitative treatment.................................................................................................... 154
An intuitive introduction to information theory.........................................................................155
Units of information ..............................................................................................................156
Thermodynamic units ............................................................................................................... 158
Optimum base for computation ..............................................................................................158
General case: Non-uniform probability of occurrence of information events ................................160
Information content of material systems..................................................................................162
Information content of a living cell .........................................................................................162
Abstract information processors........................................................................................................... 163
Turing machine.....................................................................................................................163
Von Neumann universal automaton.........................................................................................164
Living cell as a Turing machine ..............................................................................................165
In silico and in carbo systems: A design perspective ............................................................................ 165
In silico integration: Nanomorphic cell....................................................................................165
Introduction to in carbo systems design ..................................................................................168
In carbo long-term memory: Storing information in DNA ........................................................................ 169
In carbo logic information procession .................................................................................................. 169
In carbo sensors ................................................................................................ ................................. 172
In carbo communication...................................................................................................................... 173
Chemical cell-to-cell communication ......................................................................................173
Energy costs of communication................................................................................................. 174
Communication distance........................................................................................................... 174
Optical signaling/communication............................................................................................176
Direct contact communication................................................................................................176
In carbo energy source ....................................................................................................................... 176
Benchmark in carbo information processor........................................................................................... 177
Top-down estimate of overall computational performance .........................................................177
Bottom-up look: Memory and logic of in carbo vs. in silico .......................................................178
Memory.................................................................................................................................... 178
Logic ........................................................................................................................................ 178
Power and heat dissipation ....................................................................................................179
CHAPTER
Microsystems for Bioelectronics the Nanomorphic Cell
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