Cell Language Theory, The: Connecting Mind And Matter

Cell Language 199

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

second articulation refers to the formation of words by combining simpler

units, phonemes (smallest units of speech sounds), and morphemes

(smallest units of meaning) [262, 263].

4.7.3 Maximum Information Principle

Only a random message source can produce messages with maximum

Shannon information content (see [19, Appendix A]).

4.7.4 Discreteness

Elements of semiotic systems are said to be discrete if the difference

between them is absolute and does not admit of any gradation. The verbal

component of language is discrete in that two word-forms are either abso-

lutely the same or absolutely different. Minimally different word-forms,

e.g., bear and pear, can have very different meanings. Similar situation

holds in cellese: a point-mutated protein can have vastly different biologi-

cal activity than the original protein molecule, although this is not always

the case.

4.7.5 Semanticity

This term indicates the property of a message being able to convey mean-

ing, because of there being relatively fixed associations between messages

and recurrent features of situations of the world. For example, the word

“salt” means salt, not sugar or sand. Similarly, extracellular messengers,

e.g., hormones, upon binding to their target receptors, can activate or

inhibit specific genes. That is, extracellular messengers are associated

with specific gene-directed processes in the cell, justifying the statement

that extracellular messengers exhibit the property of semanticity or that

they carry meanings.

4.8 The Biology–Linguistics Connection

The idea that language may provide a useful metaphor or analogy for biol-

ogy was entertained by Pattee [264] and Marcus [265] already over three

b2861_Ch-04.indd 199 17-10-2017 11:58:57 AM