"Guy Hoelzer"  wrote in message
news:c3dadg$the$1{at}darwin.ediacara.org...
> in article c32ug4$gn8$1{at}darwin.ediacara.org, dkomo at
dkomoNoSpam{at}cris.com
> wrote on 3/14/04 4:48 PM:
>
> > Guy Hoelzer wrote:
> >>
[snippage]

> The switch makes no difference to me, because I am
considering the issue of
> senescence from a completely general point of view.  I
don't know enough to
> answer your question with any confidence.  While I am
persuaded by the "Stan
> Salthe" view of universal life history paths, I also
recognize that there
> are mechanisms which compromise the existences of systems
while rejuvenating
> the system's life history stage.  This is essentially how
I think of
> biological reproduction, and it is IMHO the source of
confusion over
> birth/death in single-celled organisms.  Sexual and
asexual reproduction
> share the fundamental pattern of the DISINTEGRATION of an
old, functional
> system(s) followed by the "prefab" integration of a new
system.  We are
> familiar with the notion in Biology that such a process
leads to the
> re-setting of the organismal life-history clock.  It may
be that some of the
> lab tricks that have been developed to maintain cell
lines, like the HELA
> cell lines, have similar effects.  I am certainly not
prepared to assume
> that all of the HELA cells in the world currently
constitute a single,
> coherent system of any kind.
>
> Guy

I like your phrasing as to disintegration and
(re)integration. It seems to me that what we know about
thermodynamics and non-linear dynamic systems (chaos thy)
all works to result in the ultimite _disintegration_ of
highly complex systems--the former, even if unlimited
energy/resource input is presumed over all time, and the
latter, if energy/resources are ultimately limited. All the
common chaotic systems we know ultimately decay, including
chemical clocks, atmospheric storms (Jupiter's Red Spot
hasn't yet, but will, in time) cometary orbits (ditto for
some), and even stars--should cells be different?
.....tonyC
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