The central concern of this paper is to re-evaluate Rosen s replicating (M,R)-systems, presented in his book -Life Itself-, where M and R signify metabolism and repair, respectively. We look anew at Rosen s model of an organism in the light of extensive research into natural hierarchical systems, and the paper presents conclusions drawn from a comparison between Rosen s relational model and that of a birational complementary natural hierarchy. We accept that Rosen s relational model provided provides a useful stepping stone to understanding the nature of life, but also suggest that it induces potentially digressive conclusions. We conclude that a binary segregation of relational assemblies into mechanisms and organisms is insufficient, and indicate how a threefold segregation throws new light on Rosen s model. An organism is not -the complement of a mechanism-: the complement of a mechanism is its ecosystem. An organism is the -complex interface- between mechanism and ecosystem.
Cottam, R, Ranson, W & Vounckx, R 2007, 'Re-Mapping Robert Rosen's (M,R) Systems', Chemistry & Biodiversity, vol. 4, no. 10, pp. 2352-2368.
Cottam, R., Ranson, W., & Vounckx, R. (2007). Re-Mapping Robert Rosen's (M,R) Systems. Chemistry & Biodiversity, 4(10), 2352-2368.
@article{b1f3ab90936e4a54ab41c3306582bbac,
title = "Re-Mapping Robert Rosen's (M,R) Systems",
abstract = "The central concern of this paper is to re-evaluate Rosen s replicating (M,R)-systems, presented in his book -Life Itself-, where M and R signify metabolism and repair, respectively. We look anew at Rosen s model of an organism in the light of extensive research into natural hierarchical systems, and the paper presents conclusions drawn from a comparison between Rosen s relational model and that of a birational complementary natural hierarchy. We accept that Rosen s relational model provided provides a useful stepping stone to understanding the nature of life, but also suggest that it induces potentially digressive conclusions. We conclude that a binary segregation of relational assemblies into mechanisms and organisms is insufficient, and indicate how a threefold segregation throws new light on Rosen s model. An organism is not -the complement of a mechanism-: the complement of a mechanism is its ecosystem. An organism is the -complex interface- between mechanism and ecosystem.",
keywords = "Robert Rosen, replicating (M,R)-system, re-mapping",
author = "Ronald Cottam and Willy Ranson and Roger Vounckx",
note = "System Theory and Biocomplexity: In Memoriam Robert Rosen",
year = "2007",
month = oct,
day = "23",
language = "English",
volume = "4",
pages = "2352--2368",
journal = "Chemistry & Biodiversity",
issn = "1612-1872",
publisher = "Wiley-VCH Verlag",
number = "10",
}