The operating system of life - George Zaidan and Charles Morton

生命的運作機制 - 喬治．柴丹（George Zaidan）和查爾斯． 莫頓（Charles Morton）

譯者: 盧 曉天 審譯者: Hao-Wei Chang

Every chicken was once an egg,

每隻雞都曾是蛋

every oak tree an acorn,

每棵橡樹都曾是松果

every frog a tadpole.

每隻青蛙都曾是科蚪

The patch of mold on that old piece of bread

塞在你家冰箱裡

in the back of your fridge,

麵包上的霉

not so long ago that was one, solitary cell.

最早也是一顆細胞

Even you were once but a gleam

你也曾是

in your parents' eyes.

父母身上的一顆細胞

All these organisms share

所有生物

the same basic goal:

都有同樣的目標

to perpetuate their own existence.

就是延續他們的生命

All lifeforms that we've discovered so far

目前我們發現的所有生物

stay alive by using

都是靠著

basically the same rules, materials, and machinery.

大部分同樣的規則、物質，和機制

Imagine a factory full of robots.

想像一個充滿機器人的工廠

These robots have two missions:

這些機器人有兩個任務

one, keep the factory running,

一、保持工廠運轉

and two, when the time is right,

二、時機恰當時

set up an entirely new factory.

開另一個全新的工廠

To do those things,

they need assembly instructions,

要做到這些

他們需要組裝的指示

raw materials,

資源

plenty of energy,

能量

a few rules about when to work normally,

有些規則 規範如合正常運作

when to work quickly,

何時加快速進行

or when to stop,

或停止時機

and some exchange currencies

他們也需要一些貨幣

because even robots need to get paid.

因為機器人也要工資

Each factory has a high security office with blueprints

每個工廠會有一個 警衛森嚴的辦公室

for all the possible factory configurations

放著建設工廠結構的藍圖

and complete sets of instructions

和製造工廠內

to make all the different types of robots

所需各式機器人

a factory could ever need.

的建造資訊

Special robots photocopy these instructions

有些機器人負責複印這些指令

and send them off

並把它們發遞出去

to help make the building blocks of more robots.

讓工廠製作新的機器人

Their colleagues assemble those parts

他們的同事會組裝這些零件

into still more robots,

製造更多的機器人

which are transported

這些機器人會被運到

to the right location in the factory

正確的工廠位置

and given the tools they need to start working.

並會給與適當的工具

Every robot draws energy

每個機器人會從

from the central power plant,

中央能源汲取能源

a giant furnace that can burn regular fuel

那像是一個巨大、 需要常規燃料的火爐

but also scrap materials

若能源不夠

if not enough regular fuel is available.

會燃燒非常規的燃料

Certain zones in the factory

有些工廠裡的部門

have harsher working conditions,

有非常艱辛和危險的工作條件

so these areas are walled off.

所以這些部門會被獨立出來

But the robots inside can at least communicate

但在危險部門的機器人仍可以

with the rest of the factory

藉由嵌在牆上的

through specialized portals

特殊窗口

embedded directly into the walls.

和其他工廠部門連繫

And as you've probably figured out,

你應該已經想到

what we're describing here

我們在描述的

is a cell.

是一個細胞

The high security office is the nucleus.

那個警衛森嚴的辦公室是細胞核

It stores the blueprints and instructions

那裡有藍圖和指示

as deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA.

也就是去氧核糖核酸 (DNA)

The photocopied instructions are RNA.

複製出來的指令是 RNA

The robots themselves are mostly proteins

那些機器人大多是

built from amino acids,

由氨基酸構成的蛋白質

but they'll often use special tools

他們通常需要使用

that are, or are derived from,

維他命或礦物質

vitamins and minerals.

或由維他命或礦物質製成的工具

The walls between factory zones

那些分開部門

and around the factory itself

和圍繞工廠的牆

are mostly made up of lipids,

是由脂類做的

a.k.a. fats.

也就是油脂

In most organisms,

在大部分的生物裡

the primary fuel source are sugars,

最主要的能源來自於醣

but in a pinch,

匱乏時

fats and proteins can be broken down

油脂和蛋白質也可以分解

and burned in the furnace as well.

並提供能源

The portals are membrane proteins

那些窗口就是細胞蛋白

which allow very specific materials and information

只讓特定的物質和資料

to pass through the walls at the right times.

進出細胞模

Many interactions between robot proteins

很多蛋白質機器人間的互動

require some kind of push,

需要一點動力

think robot minimum wage.

這好像是機器人的最低工資

A few small but crucial forms of money

一些便宜、必須的花費

are transferred between proteins

會在蛋白質間進行交換

to provide this push.

來換得所需的動力

Electrons, protons, oxygen, and phosphate groups

電子、質子、氧、磷酸根 （譯註：生化反應中磷酸根多來自 ATP）

are the main chemical currencies,

是最主要的貨幣

and they're kept in small molecular wallets

他們被放在小小的錢包分子

or larger tote bags to keep them safe.

或安全保管在一個大手提包中

This is biochemistry,

這就是生物化學

the study of how every part of the factory

研究工廠的每一部分

interacts to keep your life running smoothly

要如何在非常危險的情況下

in the face of extreme challenges.

也能完美運作

Maybe there's too much fuel;

可能有太多能源

your body will store the excess as glycogen or fat.

身體會把多餘的醣 轉換成肝醣或油脂儲存

Maybe there's not enough;

能量不夠時

your body will use up those energy reserves.

你的身體就會啟用備用能源

Maybe a virus or bacteria tries to invade;

當病毒或細菌想要入侵時

your body will mobilize the immune system.

你身體的免疫系統會啟動

Maybe you touched something hot or sharp;

你可能摸了尖銳或滾燙的物品

your nerves will let you know so you can stop.

神經會告訴你要收手

Maybe it's time to create a new cell

也可能是該要 生成一個新的細胞

or a new person.

或新生命

Amazingly, oak trees, chickens, frogs,

驚人的是：橡樹、雞、青蛙

and, yes, even you

甚至是你

share so many of the same

都有很多相似的

basic robot and factory designs

機器人和工廠設計

that biochemists can learn a lot

這些都是

about all of them

生物化學家可以從中

all at the same time.

研究學習的地方