Cell Language Theory, The: Connecting Mind And Matter

Cell Language 181

“6x9” b2861 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter

The order of words in a sentence can be changed with relative ease

by the speaker or writer, within grammatical constraints, but the order

of letters in a word is more or less fixed by convention and cannot be

changed by individuals. In other words, the first articulation has a

greater degree of freedom (for change) than the second articulation, and

this dual property of the human language is reminiscent of the dual

properties of organic molecules called “conformation” and “configura-

tion” (see Table 3.6).

In 2012 [25], the concept of double articulation was extended to

include the third articulation as defined in Table 4.3 reproduced

from [25].

4.2.2 Rule-Governed Creativity

Another important principle to be imported into biology from linguistics is

the so-called “rule-governed creativity”, referring to the fact that the

human brain is endowed with the capacity to generate (and understand) an

indefinitely large number of meaningful sentences constructed on the basis

Table 4.3 Triple articulations in cell and human languages.

Parameters Human Language Cell Language

1. Key material
   component

Book DNA

2. Size of signs Macroscopic (e.g., words) Microscopic (e.g., molecules)


3. Reader/effector The human brain The cell


4. First
   articulation

Words → Sentences Non-covalent structures (e.g., 1-D

amino acid sequence → 3-D protein

conformations)

5. Second
   articulation

Letters → Words Covalent structures (e.g., amino acids →

1-D protein primary structures)

6. Third
   articulation

Sentences → Texts Gradient structures (e.g., diffusible

molecules & ions → transmembrane

ion gradients, intracellular mechanical

stress gradients [193], intracellular

ion, and metabolite gradients.

(Gradients and dissipative structures

are synonymous; my addition)

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