Linguistics, Semiotics, and Philosophy - Molecular Theory of the Living Cell - page 178

Table 6.9 A comparison between the physical dimensions of the macrosemiotic and micros-
emiotic agents . Notice that the linear dimension of the human body is about five orders of
magnitude greater than that of the cell (Adapted from Ji 2001)
Parameters Macrosemiotics Microsemiotics

1. Sign processor or agent Human body Cell

2. Size
Linear size (m)
Volume (m 3 )

Macroscopic Microscopic

~10 5

~1

~10 15 ~1

~10 13

3. Number of cells involved 1

4. Signs used for communication Words and sentences Molecules

~10 3 ~10 8 Linear size (m)

Volume (m 3 ) ~10 9 ~10 24

5. Mechanics obeyed Classical Classical and quantum

6. Thermal stability at ~25 C

Yes (i.e., rigid) No (i.e., thermally fluctuating)

7. Powered (or driven) by Chemical reactions Chemical reactions

set of principles that is common to the semiotic processes on both these levels as
evidenced by the isomorphism found between human and cell languages (see
Table 6.3 ) (Ji 1997a, b, 1999b, 2001, 2002a). This unexpected finding may be
rationalized if we can assume that semiosis, the process of handling information ,is
scale-free, just as the process of handling energy are scale-free as evidenced by the
universal applicability of the laws of energy and entropy to all structures and
processes in the Universe from the microscopic to the cosmological, another
evidence supporting the information-energy complementarity principle discussed
in Sect. 2.3.2 .

6.2.5 Three Aspects of Molecular Signs: Iconic, Indexical,
and Symbolic

If macrosemiotics and microsemiotics are isomorphic as asserted by the cell
language theory (Ji 1997a, 2001), it may be inferred that the triadic aspects of
macrosigns (i.e., signs with macroscopic sizes, Table 6.9 ), namely, the iconic,
indexical, and symbolic aspects (Table 6.8 ), may also be found in microsigns (or
molecular signs). As already indicated in Sects. 6.2.1 and 6.2.3 , (1) a sign stands for
something (called object or signified ) to someone (interpreter, receiver, or sign
processor) in some context (environmental contingencies), and (2) there are three
kinds of signs - iconic signs (e.g., a statute) related to their objects by similarity ,
indexical signs (e.g., smoke) related to their objects by causality , and symbolic
signs (e.g., words) related to their objects by convention, rules, and codes which are
arbitrary from the standpoint of the laws of physics and chemistry .
Applying these concepts and definitions to the molecular information processing
systems in the living cell, it may be conjectured (1) that DNA serves as the sign for
RNA to cells during the transcription step catalyzed by transcriptosomes , RNA in