Modelling Escherichia coli. The concept of competitive coherence

Many of the characteristics of life are plainly evident. Others are not. In principle, computer models might be devised to test whether a hypothetical characteristic is likely to be a characteristic of real life. Here, I propose that the bacterium Escherichia coli can be considered as passing through a series of states in which a distinct set of its constituent molecules or 'elements' are active. The activity of these elements is determined by a competition between two processes. One of these processes depends on the previous cell state whilst the other depends on the internal coherence of the developing state. The simultaneous operation of these two processes I term 'competitive coherence'. To clarify and eventually test these related hypotheses, a possible computer model is outlined.