| Peer-Reviewed

What Is Life: An Informational Model of the Living Structures

Received: 5 October 2020    Accepted: 17 October 2020    Published: 26 October 2020
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Schröedinger’s question “what is life?” was a real challenge for the scientific community and this still remains as an opened question, because in spite of the important advances in various scientific branches like philosophy, biology, chemistry and physics, each of them assesses life from its particular point of view to explain the life’ characteristic features, so not a coherent and well structured general model of life was reported. In this paper life is approached from informational perspective, starting from earlier Draganeacu's philosophic concepts, showing that actually life is structured by matter and information. Therefore, it is analyzed the carbon-matter and its properties on the basis of which the living structures are composed, giving rise not only of a considerable number of carbon-based compounds, but serving now beside silicon, as an useful material for micro/nanostructure applications. Such specific properties refers to the high ability of carbon to associate/dissociate in chemical reactions regulated/facilitated by informational (Bit unit) YES/NO bistable mechanisms to form macro/small molecules with complementary properties, reactive info-functional pathways of transduction, relaying, amplification, integration, spreading, modulation, activation and positive/negative feedback reactions, like in the informational microelectronic/microsystems circuits. It is argued that the negentropy invoked earlier in Schrödinger's analysis is a consequence of informational-assisted structuration/organization of the cell and human organism. From the analysis of inter/intra-communication mechanisms in the cell and comparing with the outcomes described by the Informational Model of Human Body, it is deduced that the living organisms operate on the basis of three main streaming circuits assuring the living functions: (1) the metabolic matter-related circuit; (2) the operative informational circuit; (3) the epigenetic informational circuit for the gradual integration of information in the central informational structure – DNA. It is founded on these bases the Informational Model of the Living Structures, and the Informational System of the Living Structures (ISLS), with similar functions on the entire living scale size, from unitary to multicellular living structures, composed by seven informational systems, namely [CASI (center of acquisition and storing of information), CDC (center of decision and command), IRSS (info-reactive sentient system), MIS (maintenance info-system), GTS (genetic transmission system), IGG (info-genetic generator) and IC (info-connection)]ISLS, and are identified the specific functions of each of them. The living structures operate thus like self-“polarized" bipolar info-matter informational devices by means of the stand-by metabolic matter-related circuit, and react/respond to the external/internal informational stimuli, which modulate their functionality, returning an external reaction signal (“attitude"), for adaptation and survival.

Published in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Volume 5, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12
Page(s) 18-28
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Life/Information, Entropy/Negentropy, Living/Non-living Matter Structuration, Cell/Human Operability, Self-ordering/Info-organization, Informational Model of Living Structures

References
[1] Gaiseanu F. (2019). Language Patterns and Cognitive-Sentient Reality: Certainty/Uncertainty in Cognitive-Sentient Exploration of Reality, Chapter in Media Models to Foster Collective Human Coherence in the PSYCHecology, Ed. Stephen Brock Schafer, USA, IGI Global: 49-72. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-9065-1.ch003. https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/chapter/229328
[2] Gaiseanu, F. (2018). Destiny or free will decision? A life overview from the perspective of an informational modeling of consciousness Part II: attitude and decision criteria, free will and destiny. Gerontology & Geriatric Studies 4 (1): 354-360. https://crimsonpublishers.com/ggs/pdf/GGS.000576.pdf.
[3] Gaiseanu, F. (2020). Informationally-assisted equilibrium and health: specific ACC contribution from the perspective of the informational model of consciousness. EC Psychology and Psychiatry J., 9 (5): (https://www.ecronicon.com/ecpp/ECPP-09-00692.php) 37-49.
[4] Gaiseanu, F. (2018). Near-death experiences and immortality from the perspective of an informational modeling of consciousness. Gerontology & Geriatric Studies, 2 (3): 1-4 https://crimsonpublishers.com/ggs/pdf/GGS.000538.pdf.
[5] Jacob EB, Shapira Y, Tauberd AI. (2006). Seeking the foundations of cognition in bacteria: From Schrôdinger’s negative entropy to latent information, Physica A, 359: 495–524.
[6] Davies CW, Rieper E, and Tuszynski JA. (2013). Self-organization and entropy reduction in a living cell, Biosystems. 111 (1): 1–10. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2012.10.005.
[7] Velazquez JLP. (2009). Finding simplicity in complexity: general principles of biological and nonbiological organization, J Biol Phys, 35: 209–221. DOI: 10.1007/s10867-009-9146-z.
[8] Adams JU, Ph. D. (2010). Essential of Cell Biology, Edited by Clare O'Connor& Adams JU, Ph. D, Scitable, Cambridge, MA: NPG Education: 1-100.
[9] Tarlaci S. (2011). Quantum Physics in Living Matter: From Quantum Biology to Quantum Neurobiology, NeuroQuantology, 9 (4): 692-701.
[10] Tarlaci S., and Pregnolato M. (2016). Quantum neurophysics: From non-living matter to quantum neurobiology and psychopathology. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 103: 161-73. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.02.016.
[11] Draganescu, M. (1990). Information of matter. Bucharest, Ed. Romanian Academy. (Informatia materiei (in Romanian). Bucuresti: Editura Academiei Române.
[12] Draganescu, M. (1979). The depth of the material world. Bucharest: Ed. Politica. (Profunzimile lumii materiale (in Romanian). Bucuresti: Editura Politica.
[13] Gaiseanu F. The Informational Model of Consciousness: Mechanisms of Embodiment/Disembodiment of Information, NeuroQuantology, 17 (4), 1-17, 2019c. https://www.neuroquantology.com/article.php?id=1322.
[14] Gaiseanu F. Information-Matter Bipolarity of the Human Organism and Its Fundamental Circuits: From Philosophy to Physics/Neurosciences-Based Modeling, Philosophy Study 2020b; 10 (2): 107-118. doi: 10.17265/2159-5313/2020.02.002. http://www.davidpublisher.com/Public/uploads/Contribute/5e5b3d8e74433.pdf.
[15] Schrödinger E. What is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1944.
[16] Gaiseanu F. (2013). Contributions to the Modelling and Simulation of the Atomic Transport Processes in Silicon and Polysilicon and Applications. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROMANIAN ACADEMY, Series A, 4 (4): 376-384; www.acad.ro/sectii2002/proceedings/doc2013-4/15-Gaiseanu.pdf.
[17] Gaiseanu F. (2017). Modeling and Simulation of the Impurity Diffusion and Related Phenomena in Silicon and Polysilicon Systems in Microfabrication and Micromachining Technologies. Annals of the Academy of Romanian Scientists, Series on Science and Technology of Information, 10 (1): 41-78. http://aos.ro/wp-content/anale/IFVol10Nr1Art.4.pdf.
[18] Gaiseanu, F. (2020). Physics of consciousness and life: informational model of consciousness – information in neurosciences, biocomputers and biosystems; (Fizica constiintei si a vietii: modelul informational al constiintei – informatia in neurostiinte, biocomputere si biosisteme (in Romanian), GlobeEdit (OmniScriptum International Group, Germany). https://www.amazon.com/Fizica-Conștiinței-Vieții-Informațional-Neuroștiințe/dp/6139421705.
[19] Anonymous. (2020) Wikipedia, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bond-dissociation_energy
[20] Anonymous. (2003-2008). Carbon. Los Alamos National Laboratory. Chemistry Operations 2003-2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080913063402/http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/6.html.
[21] Alberts B., Johnson A., Lewis L., Morgan D., Raff M., Roberts K., Walter P. (2015). Essential Biology, 6-th edition; Published by Garland Science, Taylor & Francis Group.
[22] Zhang J. (2019). Secrets of the Brain: An Introduction to the Brain: Anatomical Structure and Biological Function, arXiv: 1906.03314v1 [q-bio.NC]: 1-34.
[23] Garbi L., and Larsen PS. (2008). Bioenergetics: Its Thermodynamic Foundations. Cambridge University Press.
[24] Bailly F., Longo G. (2009). Biological Organization and Antientropy, Journal Biological Systems, 17 (1): 63-96.
[25] Gaiseanu, F. (2019). Epigenetic information-body interaction and information-assisted evolution from the perspective of the informational model of consciousness. Archives in Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology 2 (2): 1-6. DOI: 10.33552/ABEB.2019.02.000532 https://irispublishers.com/abeb/pdf/ABEB.MS.ID.000532.pdf
[26] Gaiseanu, F. (2020). Information based hierarchical brain organization/evolution from the perspective of the informational model of consciousness. Archives in Neurology & Neuroscience 7 (5): 1-9. ANN.MS.ID.000672. DOI: 10.33552/ANN.2020.07.000672. https://www.academia.edu/42766159/Information_Based_Hierarchical_Brain_Organization_Evolution_from_the_Perspective_of_the_Informational_Model_of_Consciousness.
[27] Gaiseanu F. (2016). Consciousness as Informational System of the Human Body. Consciousness and Life Physics, Cosmology and Astrophysics Journal, 16 (1): 14-25. http://physics.socionic.info/index.php/physics/article/view/227/182
[28] Smith E. (2008). Thermodynamics of natural selection I: Energy flow and the limits on organization. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 252: 185–197. and II: Chemical Carnot cycles, Journal of Theoretical Biology Evolution, 52: 198–212.
[29] Gaiseanu F. (2019). Informational Model of Consciousness: From Philosophic Concepts to an Information Science of Consciousness, Philosophy Study 9 (4): 181-196. http://www.davidpublisher.org/Public/uploads/Contribute/5d1c009c3567e.pdf DOI: 10.17265/2159-5313/2019.04.002.
[30] Shannon CE. (1948). A mathematical theory of communication. Bell Syst. Tech. J., 27 (379–423): 623–656.
[31] Ben-Naim A. (2017). Entropy, Shannon’s Measure of Information and Boltzmann’s H-Theorem, Entropy, 19: 48; 1-18. doi: 10.3390/e19020048.
[32] Cherak S.J., Gugala N., and Turner RJ. (2017). Membrane Transport, Basic Chemistry, Austin Publishing, 1-33, Basic Biochemistry. www.austinpublishinggroup.com/ebooks.
[33] Marín D., Martín M., Sabater B. (2009). Entropy decrease associated to solute compartmentalization in the cell, BioSystems, 98: 31–36.
[34] Chen A., and Silver P. (2012). Designing biological compartmentalization, Trends in Cell Biology, 22 (12): 662-670.
[35] Plopper G. (2016). Principles of the Cell Biology, 2-nd Edition, Jones & Bartlett Learning.
[36] Gaiseanu F. (2019). Destiny or Free Will Decision? A Life Overview From the Perspective of an Informational Modeling of Consciousness Part I: Information, Consciousness and Life Cycle. Gerontology & Geriatric Studies, 4 (1): 400-405. https://crimsonpublishers.com/ggs/pdf/GGS.000586.pdf
[37] Gaiseanu F. (2018). Information: from Philosophic to Physics Concepts for Informational Modeling of Consciousness, Philosophy Study, 8 (8): 368-382. doi: 10.17265/2159-5313/2018.08.004. http://www.davidpublisher.org/Public/uploads/Contribute/5c06323653cd2.pdf.
[38] Gaiseanu F. (2019). Informational Neuro-Connections of the Brain with the Body Supporting the Informational Model of Consciousness, Archives in Neurology & Neuroscience 4 (1): 1-6. ANN. MS. ID. 000576. DOI: 10.33552/ANN.2019.04.000576. https://irispublishers.com/ann/pdf/ANN.MS.ID.000576.pdf.
[39] Gaiseanu F. (2019). The Silent Voice of Those Who are no Longer: Transgenerational Transmission of Information from the Perspective of the Informational Model of Consciousness. Gerontology & Geriatric Studies, 5 (1): 482-488. DOI: 10.31031/GGS.2019.05.000604.https://crimsonpublishers.com/ggs/pdf/GGS.000604.pdf.
[40] Gaiseanu F. (2017). Quantum-Assisted Process of Disembody Under Near-Death Conditions: An Informational-Field Support Model. NeuroQuantology, 15 (1): 4-9. https://www.neuroquantology.com/article.php?id=1645.
[41] Gaiseanu F. (2019). Human/Humanity, Consciousness and Universe: Informational Relation, NeuroQuantology, 17 (5): 60-70. https://www.neuroquantology.com/article.php?id=1232
[42] Gaiseanu F. (2017). An Information Based Model of Consciousness Fully Explaining the Mind Normal/Paranormal Properties. NeuroQuantology, 15.2: 132-140. https://www.neuroquantology.com/article.php?id=1676
[43] Gaiseanu F. (2019). Informational Mode of the Brain Operation and Consciousness as an Informational Related System, Archives in Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology, 1 (5): 1-7. ABEB.MS.ID.000525. https://irispublishers.com/abeb/pdf/ABEB.MS.ID.000525.pdf
[44] Burrill D. R., and Silver P. A. (2010). Making cellular memories, Cell, 140 (1): 13–18. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2009.12.034.
[45] Mathisa R., and Ackermann M. (2016). Response of single bacterial cells to stress gives rise to complex history dependence at the population level, PNAS Early Edition, 1-6, www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1511509113.
[46] Peil K. T. (2014). Emotion: The Self-regulatory Sense, Global Adv Health Med., 3 (2): 80-108. DOI: 10.7453/gahmj.2013.058.
[47] Shanta B. N. (2015). Life and consciousness – The Vedāntic view, Communicative & Integrative Biology, 8: 5, e1085138 (1-12), DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2015.1085138.
[48] Marais A., Adams B., Ringsmuth A., Ferretti M., Gruber M., Hendrik R., Schuld M., Smith S., Sinayskiy I., Krūger T., Petruccione F., Grondelle R. (2018). The future of quantum biology, J. R. Soc. Interface, 15: 20180640: 1-15.
[49] Krauss G. (2014). Basics of Cell Signaling, in Biochemistry of Signal Transduction and Regulation. 5th Edition. WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim ISBN: 978-3-527-31397-6.
[50] Indiveri, G., Linares-Barranco B., Legenstein, R., Deligeorgis G., and Prodromakis, T. (2013). Integration of nanoscale memristor synapses in neuromorphic computing architectures, Nanotechnology 24, 384010 (1-13) doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/24/38/384010.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Florin Gaiseanu. (2020). What Is Life: An Informational Model of the Living Structures. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 5(2), 18-28. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Florin Gaiseanu. What Is Life: An Informational Model of the Living Structures. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 2020, 5(2), 18-28. doi: 10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Florin Gaiseanu. What Is Life: An Informational Model of the Living Structures. Biochem Mol Biol. 2020;5(2):18-28. doi: 10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12,
      author = {Florin Gaiseanu},
      title = {What Is Life: An Informational Model of the Living Structures},
      journal = {Biochemistry and Molecular Biology},
      volume = {5},
      number = {2},
      pages = {18-28},
      doi = {10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.bmb.20200502.12},
      abstract = {Schröedinger’s question “what is life?” was a real challenge for the scientific community and this still remains as an opened question, because in spite of the important advances in various scientific branches like philosophy, biology, chemistry and physics, each of them assesses life from its particular point of view to explain the life’ characteristic features, so not a coherent and well structured general model of life was reported. In this paper life is approached from informational perspective, starting from earlier Draganeacu's philosophic concepts, showing that actually life is structured by matter and information. Therefore, it is analyzed the carbon-matter and its properties on the basis of which the living structures are composed, giving rise not only of a considerable number of carbon-based compounds, but serving now beside silicon, as an useful material for micro/nanostructure applications. Such specific properties refers to the high ability of carbon to associate/dissociate in chemical reactions regulated/facilitated by informational (Bit unit) YES/NO bistable mechanisms to form macro/small molecules with complementary properties, reactive info-functional pathways of transduction, relaying, amplification, integration, spreading, modulation, activation and positive/negative feedback reactions, like in the informational microelectronic/microsystems circuits. It is argued that the negentropy invoked earlier in Schrödinger's analysis is a consequence of informational-assisted structuration/organization of the cell and human organism. From the analysis of inter/intra-communication mechanisms in the cell and comparing with the outcomes described by the Informational Model of Human Body, it is deduced that the living organisms operate on the basis of three main streaming circuits assuring the living functions: (1) the metabolic matter-related circuit; (2) the operative informational circuit; (3) the epigenetic informational circuit for the gradual integration of information in the central informational structure – DNA. It is founded on these bases the Informational Model of the Living Structures, and the Informational System of the Living Structures (ISLS), with similar functions on the entire living scale size, from unitary to multicellular living structures, composed by seven informational systems, namely [CASI (center of acquisition and storing of information), CDC (center of decision and command), IRSS (info-reactive sentient system), MIS (maintenance info-system), GTS (genetic transmission system), IGG (info-genetic generator) and IC (info-connection)]ISLS, and are identified the specific functions of each of them. The living structures operate thus like self-“polarized" bipolar info-matter informational devices by means of the stand-by metabolic matter-related circuit, and react/respond to the external/internal informational stimuli, which modulate their functionality, returning an external reaction signal (“attitude"), for adaptation and survival.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - What Is Life: An Informational Model of the Living Structures
    AU  - Florin Gaiseanu
    Y1  - 2020/10/26
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12
    T2  - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
    JF  - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
    JO  - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
    SP  - 18
    EP  - 28
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-5048
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bmb.20200502.12
    AB  - Schröedinger’s question “what is life?” was a real challenge for the scientific community and this still remains as an opened question, because in spite of the important advances in various scientific branches like philosophy, biology, chemistry and physics, each of them assesses life from its particular point of view to explain the life’ characteristic features, so not a coherent and well structured general model of life was reported. In this paper life is approached from informational perspective, starting from earlier Draganeacu's philosophic concepts, showing that actually life is structured by matter and information. Therefore, it is analyzed the carbon-matter and its properties on the basis of which the living structures are composed, giving rise not only of a considerable number of carbon-based compounds, but serving now beside silicon, as an useful material for micro/nanostructure applications. Such specific properties refers to the high ability of carbon to associate/dissociate in chemical reactions regulated/facilitated by informational (Bit unit) YES/NO bistable mechanisms to form macro/small molecules with complementary properties, reactive info-functional pathways of transduction, relaying, amplification, integration, spreading, modulation, activation and positive/negative feedback reactions, like in the informational microelectronic/microsystems circuits. It is argued that the negentropy invoked earlier in Schrödinger's analysis is a consequence of informational-assisted structuration/organization of the cell and human organism. From the analysis of inter/intra-communication mechanisms in the cell and comparing with the outcomes described by the Informational Model of Human Body, it is deduced that the living organisms operate on the basis of three main streaming circuits assuring the living functions: (1) the metabolic matter-related circuit; (2) the operative informational circuit; (3) the epigenetic informational circuit for the gradual integration of information in the central informational structure – DNA. It is founded on these bases the Informational Model of the Living Structures, and the Informational System of the Living Structures (ISLS), with similar functions on the entire living scale size, from unitary to multicellular living structures, composed by seven informational systems, namely [CASI (center of acquisition and storing of information), CDC (center of decision and command), IRSS (info-reactive sentient system), MIS (maintenance info-system), GTS (genetic transmission system), IGG (info-genetic generator) and IC (info-connection)]ISLS, and are identified the specific functions of each of them. The living structures operate thus like self-“polarized" bipolar info-matter informational devices by means of the stand-by metabolic matter-related circuit, and react/respond to the external/internal informational stimuli, which modulate their functionality, returning an external reaction signal (“attitude"), for adaptation and survival.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Science and Technology of Information/Microsystems, IMT (Institute of Microtechnology), Bucharest, Romania; Science and Technology of Information/Microtechnology, CNM (Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica), Barcelona, Spain

  • Sections