A simulation language for modeling of biological cells

✍ Scribed by Walter R. Stahl; Deltin D. Williams; Robert H. Wassmuth

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1967
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 690 KB
• Volume: 1
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0010-4809
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-4809(67)90014-6

✦ Synopsis

The simulation of self-reproduction in systems of automata and biological cells is a promising technique for the study of biological self-organization.

A special-purpose compiler (Cellular List-Processing Program, CLPP) has been written in SDS-920 machine language and used for models of this type. The present report deals with the technical details of this simulation language. It may be described as a very simplified list-processing technique, without capacity for any complex logical manipulation of words, but possessing restricted arithmetic capability. A cell is represented entirely by lists of preassigned fixed words or elements, with associated numerical values and indicator bits. The program operators, such as ON, ADD, CHECK, LIST CHECK, PRINT, etc., allow convenient representation of gene-enzyme activities in a simplified model cell. A table describes the program operators and a short sample program is presented. Two flowcharts deal with compilation of the machine program and execution of several typical program instructions. There is a brief comparison of CLPP with more general list-processing languages. It is concluded that special-purpose simulators will be of value for machine studies of complex models of cells, tissues, and morphogenesis.

INTRODUCTlON