Some concepts from “History: Reproduction and Heredity” in Tree of Knowledge, The Biological Roots of Human Understanding, 1992 by Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela:
I have always been fascinated by the concept of fraction, which is call the result of reproduction in this context. Let’s look at how the author interprets the term ‘reproduction’.
Reproduction We speak of reproduction when a unity undergoes a fracture that results in two unities of the same class. This happens, for instance, when a piece of chalk is broken in two or when a bunch of grapes is broken into two bunches of grapes. The resulting unities are not identical with the original one nor are they identical with each other; however, they belong to the same class as the original; that is, they have the same organization. (p61)
With these texts, we know that organization is central to reproduction. The author emphasizes that both the original and the new divisions must share the same organizational structure. The concept rooted in the history is called ‘heredity’ here, while the unique differences in each new division are called ‘variations’. These variations introduce diversity, create the possibility of everything we know and not know,
Because of these characteristics, reproduction necessarily gives origin to historically connected unities. If these unities suffer reproductive fractures, they form together a historical system. (p65)
Reproduction has many forms, from the physics principles of basic particles to complex biological systems. Amazingly, one of the most intricate examples happens right within our own bodies. It is our continual reproduction of cells. This phenomenon is occurring without our notice, yet it sustains our life.
During mitosis or cell division, all the occurring processes (b-j) consist of cell decompartmentalization. This is readily seen in Figure 18, which shows the dissolution of nuclear membrane (with replication of the large double helixes of DNA) and the displacement of chromosomes and other components. This makes possible a plane of fracture … In any case, cell reproduction is clearly reproduction in the sense discussed before, not replication or a copy of unities. (p65-66)
Our cells function like factories and composed of tons of particles. The mechanisms within the human body are the result of millions of years of evolution. Remarkably, we possess the ability to reproduce within each figure to sustain our lives and form a framework that binds us all together.
In cell reproduction there are many instances where it is possible to detect with precision the structural circumstances that bring about both variation and conservation of similarities … Such components participate in basic structural configurations that are conserved from generation to generation with only slight changes. (p68-69)
Hard to imagine that the complexity of the entire system, especially biologists remind us that we share 99.9% of our genes. We’re all almost the same in conclusion.
I have some random thought about the concept of reproduction……
Everything we know is built upon the fundamental laws of physics––elementary particles come together to form some atoms, atoms join together to compose molecules, and eventually chemistry emerges. Biology comes from chemistry, and eventually giving rise to human beings like us. That’s everything should thank to the reproduction. Its purpose is to bring more possibilities into the world.
The possibilities give us our diverse languages, occupations, thoughts, and perspectives, which makes human beings on the entire planet look like an large organic life form, creating new possibilities every day. In this class, the ideas we generate and organize is just one billionth of all human ideas. If every life form and object on Earth could think, the number would grow million times. If we consider the potential for other ‘thought centers’ elsewhere in the universe, the possibilities multiply even further.
All the possibilities, comes from one essential principle: reproduction.
The possibilities are nearly infinite, yet each of us is limited in what we can individually understand. The Buddhists practice austerity to reach the ultimate state of ‘omniscience’, which is the understanding of all things. Before we reach such a state, we can only pay attention on limited of things, what Whitehead calls Importance.