Figure 2 - uploaded by Thomas E. Portegys
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The Replicating Molecule The atom marked by a '*' in the upper-left of the figure is a catalyst atom. This image was taken just before the catalyst bonded to the west of the 'A' atom to initiate the strand splitting process. Reactions allow a catalyst to initially bond with either with the 'A' or 'W' type of atom. The splitting process begins by passing the catalyst down the length of the strand, as shown in Figure 3.
Source publication
This paper instantiates an architecture for an artificial chemistry featuring continuous physics and discrete chemical reactions. A system of bonded complementary molecular strands replicates in the presence of a catalyst. The catalyst causes the strands to disengage; each strand subsequently replicates its missing complement by bonding to free ato...
