Organizational invariance in (M,R)-systems

Area of Science:

• Systems Biology
• Theoretical Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Robert Rosen's (M,R)-systems model defines living organisms as self-organizing entities.
• A key property of living systems is organizational invariance, which ensures self-maintenance.
• Previous models often fail to achieve organizational invariance, treating catalytic cycles as "black boxes".

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain how organizational invariance can be achieved in (M,R)-systems.
• To propose a method for constructing models that exhibit organizational invariance.
• To re-evaluate the nature of self-organization in biological systems.

Main Methods:

• Analyzing the requirements for organizational invariance in (M,R)-systems.
• Deconstructing catalytic cycles into uncatalyzed chemical reactions.
• Modeling metabolic systems with explicit molecular interactions.

Main Results:

• Organizational invariance is achieved when a system's organization is internally defined by its components.
• Treating catalytic cycles as uncatalyzed reactions reveals the inherent organization.
• The chemical properties of molecules fully define the system's organization.

Conclusions:

• The apparent lack of organizational invariance in prior models is an artifact of incomplete representation.
• Internal coding of organization, through detailed reaction pathways, is essential for true self-organization.
• This approach provides a more accurate theoretical framework for understanding living systems.