Intertwined Principles

Not only do the cells reflect all four principles at once, the principles themselves are interdependent in the sense that each one assumes the others.

• Specialization requires a stigmergy structure (a body) which nurtures and protects the specialized cells and can benefit from their specialized activity

• Once cells specialize, they must interpret messages accordingly, i.e., polymorphicly. That's how a collaborating group with various specializations can respond in an orchestrated way to some common stimulus. There is no orchestra conductor telling each one what to do. A common message signals the situation and each specialized cell responds to that message with its specialized behavior. Similarly, specialized ants and termites must interpret messages from the perspective of their special abilities. So specialization and polymorphic messaging are interdependent.

• Since apoptosis exists to sculpt and protect a (stigmergic) body, clearly stigmergy and apoptosis are interdependent. But also, the apoptotic messaging pathways depend upon polymorphic messaging and the response to apoptosis messages differs according to the specialized function of the cell. So apoptosis and specialization are interdependent.

• Complex messenger proteins often act as "bundles" of messages. That is, one messenger protein may have separate domains, each with a different messaging function. And often, the different message domains address each of the other three architectural principles. For example, one domain initiates signal cascades specific to the unique function of that type of cell (i.e., specialization), another facilitates or verifies physical attachment to the extracellular matrix (i.e., deals explicitly with the stigmergy structure), and yet another provides signals that either suppress or encourage apoptosis! Thus, A single multi-part message speaks to the functional relationship of the cell to the whole organism/tissue/organ rather than to just a single cell function.