Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 6.11 Examples of various functions and their elements in biology
Function
Structure
Process
Mechanism
1. Transcription DNA template
RNA polymerization
RNA polymerase driven by
conformons
a
2. Translation
mRNA, tRNA,
rRNA
Peptidyl transfer
reaction
Directed movement of the
ribosome components driven
by conformons
3. Amino acyl
tRNA
synthesis
tRNA anticodons Amino acylation
of tRNA
Allosteric control of amino
acylation by tRNA anticodon
4. Protein
folding
Amino acid
sequence
Rate of translation
Environment-sensitive protein
conformation
5. Enzymic
catalysis
Protein folds
Chemical reactions
Conformon-driven regulation of
the activation energy barrier
6. Semiosis
Interpretant (or codemaking,
mapping, habit-forming,
evolution)
a
Conformons are the mechanical energy stored in sequence-specific sites within biopolymers that
are generated from exergonic chemical reactions and drive all orderly molecular motions inside
the cell including enzymic catalysis, molecular motors, pumps, rotors, and chromatin remodeling
Representamen
(or signifier,
sign vehicle)
Object (or signified,
referent)
Epistemology
||
[
Innate Knowledge
encoded in
Cell Language
]
¯
[
External Knowledge
expressed in
Human Language
]
Fig. 6.10 Epistemology as the study of the rules governing the conversion of cell-linguistic texts
into human-linguistic texts, and as a cell language-based interpretation of Socrates' doctrine of
anamnesis
and of the theory of
pre-reflective experience
of Merleau-Ponty (Dillon 1997, pp. 1-2)
correlations is chosen for discussion would depend on the context of the discourse at
hand and on the perspectives of the discussants involved. Peirce (1868) views
“prescision” as a form of “abstraction” (Colapietro 1993) and characterizes it in
connection with the related terms “discrimination” and “dissociation” as follows:
The terms “prescision” and “abstraction,” which were formerly applied to every kind of
separation, are now limited, not merely to mental separation, but to that which arises from
attention to one element and neglect of the other. Exclusive attention consists in a definite
conception or supposition of one part of an object, without any supposition of the other.
Abstraction or prescision ought to be carefully distinguished from two other modes of
mental separation, which may be termed discrimination and dissociation. Discrimination
has to do merely with the senses of terms, and only draws a distinction in meaning.
Dissociation is that separation which, in the absence of a constant association, is permitted
by the law of association of images. It is the consciousness of one thing, without the
necessary simultaneous consciousness of the other. Abstraction or prescision, therefore,
