
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
The Efficacy of the Chemical Approach to Life The Efficacy of the Chemical Approach to Life
-
The Birth of Biosemiotics The Birth of Biosemiotics
-
Open and Closed Systems Open and Closed Systems
-
Prigogine and the Thermodynamics of Nonequilibrium Prigogine and the Thermodynamics of Nonequilibrium
-
System-Environment System-Environment
-
A Philosophical Consideration of What Is Life and Schrödinger’s Problem A Philosophical Consideration of What Is Life and Schrödinger’s Problem
-
-
-
14 What Is Life? The Chemical Perspective and Its Relation to Other Perspectives
Get access-
Published:October 2023
Cite
Abstract
In this chapter, we begin by considering Schrödinger's significant book What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell, in order to analyze the way in which the chemical and systemic perspective that we propose answers this perennial question. We will attempt to explain why the chemical approach to living beings is so effective with the help of two examples: that of neurotransmitters and that of the immune system. We will also examine the approach of biosemiotics and the processual approach, both of which differ from our own in this book, bearing in mind the philosophical question regarding what entities and processes represent in science. To answer the question “What is life?” we consider the essential distinction in systemics between open and closed systems and discuss Prigogine's analysis in terms of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. After this, we reexamine Morin’s discussion of the relationship of living beings with their environment. Finally, to conclude, we compare two structured emergent systems, the molecule and the cell, from the perspective of the systemic approach that we defend in this book.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2023 | 4 |
November 2023 | 2 |
December 2023 | 2 |
January 2024 | 2 |
February 2024 | 2 |
March 2024 | 5 |
April 2024 | 2 |
June 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 1 |
December 2024 | 2 |
March 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 2 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.