Cellular sentience as the primary source of biological order and evolution

Area of Science:

• Origin of Life
• Cell Biology
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Life originated approximately 4 billion years ago with the emergence of the first cells.
• Early cellular evolution occurred in a challenging environment, necessitating adaptive strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose that cellular sentience and cognition were crucial for early cell survival and adaptation.
• To explore the role of biological Maxwell's demons in information and energy extraction for anti-entropic processes.
• To elucidate how cellular cognition and biological order contribute to evolutionary novelty.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development.
• Analysis of cellular sentience and cognition as evolutionary drivers.
• Examination of information storage in biopolymers (DNA, RNA, cytoskeleton).

Main Results:

• Cellular sentience and cognition allowed for decision-making and creative adaptations for survival.
• A biological Maxwell's demon mechanism facilitates sensory information and energy extraction, enabling anti-entropic actions.
• Ordered biopolymers store analogue and digital information, supporting organism development and evolution.
• Continuous plasma membrane continuity across cell divisions ensures informational inheritance.

Conclusions:

• Life is sustained by principles supporting cellular sentience, distinguishing it from non-life.
• Biological order, cognition, and sentience are key to the creative evolution of life.
• Living organisms are the primary authors of evolutionary novelty through these life-specific principles.