Permutamins

Permutamins are a class of hypothetical molecules that have been proposed in theoretical biology and astrobiology. The concept of permutamins suggests that life, as we understand it, is not necessarily tied to the specific biochemistry of DNA and RNA, but rather could be based on alternative molecular systems capable of storing and transmitting genetic information. The term "permutamin" is derived from "permutation," highlighting the idea that information could be encoded through various arrangements or sequences of different molecular components, rather than solely through the four bases of DNA.

The core principle behind permutamins is that any self-replicating system that can undergo heritable variation and natural selection could be considered a form of life. This would require a molecule that can store information in a linear sequence, replicate itself, and undergo mutations that can be passed on to subsequent generations. Permutamins are envisioned as such molecules, potentially built from a different set of monomers or using different linkage mechanisms than those found in terrestrial biology. Their existence remains speculative, serving as a thought experiment to broaden our definition of life and explore the possibilities for extraterrestrial biochemistry. Research in this area focuses on understanding the fundamental requirements for information storage and replication in molecular systems, independent of specific chemical compositions.