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Updated: Oct 8, 2026

Creating and Applying a Reference to Facilitate the Discussion and Classification of Proteins in a Diverse Group
Published on: August 16, 2017
Life and reference
1Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Copenhagen, Solvgade 83, DK 1307, Copenhagen, Denmark. hoffmeyer@mermaid.molbio.ku.dk
Abstract:
The paper recommends a broadening of Howard Pattee's seminal distinction between a dynamic and a linguistic mode of living systems. It is observed that even the dynamic mode is always a semiotic mode although indexical and analogically coded rather than symbolic and digitally coded. The analogically coded messages corresponds to a kind of tacit knowledge hidden in macromolecular structure and shape (e.g. molecular complementarity) and in organismic architecture and communication, i.e. in the semiotic interactions of the body. It is claimed that the origin of referential processes is tied to the flow of historical singularities. The function of analog and digital codes in evolutionary systems is discussed.
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