Living systems organisation

According to Stuart Kauffman, self-organisation processes initiate a trend which leads to more complex states of the system. In living systems, there are two forces which determine order (Kauffman, 1995) ... 

Organisation, steady development or cyclic flowing states (Living systems)... 

A final observation is in order the quantitative application of the equilibrium thermodynamical formalism to living systems and especially to ecosystems is generally inadequate since they are complex in their organisation, involving many interactions and feedback loops, several hierarchical levels may have to be considered, and the sources and types of energy involved can be multiple. Furthermore, they are out-of-equilibrium open flow systems and need to be maintained in such condition since equilibrium is death. Leaving aside very simple cases, in the present state of the art we are, therefore, limited to general semiquantitative statements or descriptions (e.g. ecosystem narratives ). 

This and the succeeding chapters take us a stage further. They are focused on the role of curvature and its connection to function for supramolecular assemblies of biomolecules. A number of examples from biology are presented where cur ature and function are clearly intimately connected. These examples allow us to speculate on the central part played by shape in chemical reactions, and in molecular organisation in living systems the beginning of a language of shape. 

We are convinced that a structural description based on curvature is useful in physical and biological sciences, and the numerous examples presented here support that view. Finally, we hope that our speculations on the role of these shapes in chemical reactions and in molecular organisation in living systems will inspire new work in tins field. 

A self-organised living system is able to capture intense energy fluxes and to utilise its neg-entropic inpnit to produce new structures. Prigogine showed (1972) that even simple physical systems present processes of order. 

Although there is no universal definition of life, scientists generally agree that living systems share all or at least the characteristics organisation, interaction with the environment, adaptation, metabolism, growth, motility and communication. 

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