A theoretical solution to the
bootstrap problem of life that requires
DNA to make
protein and
vice versa. The concept was first put forward by Manfred Eigen, drawing on the ideas of
feedback loops proposed by Norbert Weiner (one of the origional
cyberneticists, along with Claude
Shannon and
Von Neumann).
A simple example is that of two ribozymes that catalyse the formation of each other:
--->
A B
<---
This means that each RNA molecule is the gene for the other, and any change in one will affect the whole system in a non-linear way.