In other words, is there any individual cell that can decide between two or more options, or all they all solely chemical and mechanical reactions without any self-determination at all?

  • HottieAutie@lemmy.dbzer0.comOPEnglish
    62·
    16 days ago

    Thanks! Is there a point during which any of these cells makes a decision that is not 100% mere chemical or mechanical reaction to their immediate environment? Perhaps when they need to differentiate into a new cell?

    • єχтяαναgαηтєηzумєEnglish
      8·
      16 days ago

      I mean, cellular/molecular biology is applied organic chemistry. It’s all chemical based in some way or another. I guess with T and B cell receptor formations, each receptor binding domain is made totally at random. So much so, they go through training to ensure they won’t attack self and are able to detect pathogen associated molecular patterns. Wildly, most T and B cells don’t pass training and get recycled, more or less.

      So maybe, but you’re talking about the world on the cellular level, it’s all based on chemical reactions with environmental stimuli. To be alive requires responding to your environment, and chemistry is how that works at the microscopic level.