Keywords: DNA, mutation, tautomeric transition
Abstract
The tautomeric mutation and its repair in DNA is discussed from the perspective of a theoretical bio-physicist using quantum tools. Many of the well known concepts and techniques borrowed from condensed matter physics in particular, are found to be quite useful in the analysis of this process and to provide important insight. It is shown that the proposed diverse theoretical models for describing this phenomenon can be unified by making use of these tools. Various experimental results of paramount importance, obtained from living organisms, were highlighted and used as input in the calculations and in the analysis. Possible applications of the theoretical procedure adopted here to investigate many related phenomena, are also briefly discussed.
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