The Bhopalator 99“6x9” b2861 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter3.2.15 Five Classes of Factors Affecting the Behavior
of the Living Cell
The five classes of factors that affect the cell functions are summarized in
Table 3.8. Cell biologists tend to explain every cell property or behavior
in terms only of cell structure, ignoring the importance of the environment
in which the cell exists (see Section 2.5 for related discussions). But the
cell structure and function may be intimately related to its environment.
In other words, the cell may be constantly communicating with its envi-
ronment through cell membrane. The cell membrane may be viewed as a
two-dimensional censor of environmental conditions, e.g., its osmolarity.
Through the cytoskeleton, the cell membrane is communicating with
every part of the cell, including the nucleus and DNA. Hence the whole
cell may be communicating with its environment, most likely through the
three different kinds of waves listed in Table 3.7.
DNA is analogous to the secondary memory (or the hard drive) of the
computer. Both the memories stored in DNA and in a hard drive remain
unaffected when energy input to the systems is discontinued and hence
represent equilibrium structures.
RNA is analogous to the primary memory (or the memory in CPU).
Both the memories in RNA (as equilibrium structure and concentration
gradients) and CPU disappear (i.e., RNA structure is degraded and its
concentration patterns disappear) in cells when the free energy input is
blocked and hence represent dissipative structures.
Proteins are unique among biopolymers, since they are the only
biopolymer (except the rare cases of some RNA molecules that can act as
enzymes called “ribozymes”) that can utilize thermal energy to catalyze
chemical reactions to release free energy.
Biochemicals are the consumer products of the cell. They are used up
to provide free energy and the building materials for the cell. But they
cannot release free energy by themselves without the help of enzymes. In
fact, it appears that Nature has selected only those biochemicals from all
possible ones on the surface of the Earth that do not undergo any chemi-
cal reactions among themselves unless and until catalyzed by enzymes. It
is for this reason that the cell can control the rates of the chemical reac-
tions occurring inside the cell by controlling the rates of the expression of
the genes encoding enzymes.b2861_Ch-03.indd 99 17-10-2017 11:46:25 AM