Thermodynamic understanding of flower pigmentation.

We have reviewed and interpreted the thermodynamic principles for flower pigmentation. The basic thoughts are as follows: 1) any biological trait is associated with one thermodynamic system; 2) a thermodynamic system of biology cannot be physically isolated from complex thermal systems of biology but can be separately studied using thermodynamic methods; 3) a thermodynamic system of biology has all types of information, including volume, shape, and structure, unlike the traditional thermal system of gases; 4) a thermodynamic system of biology is associated with one type of biological structure that is not fully fixed but can change its conformation under different conditions; and 5) a thermodynamic system of biology shows a hierarchical structure. On the basis of these principles, several conclusions regarding flower pigmentation are obtained as follows: 1) processes of pigmentation formation can be divided into reversible and irreversible processes; 2) the reversible process is related to quantitative changes in pigments; 3) the irreversible process is related to the formation of stable pigmentation patterns that are physiologically inherited; 4) the spot pattern of color pigmentation represents an independent island of the physiological system; 5) many types of activators and inhibitors are involved in flower pigmentation production; 6) the patterns of flower pigmentation can be modulated; and 7) the evolution mechanism of organogenesis can be separated into several steps of independent thermodynamic processes. Our conclusion is that the thermodynamic system, rather than the dynamic system, is the essential and fundamental attribute of biological behaviors.

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Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest.