And it turns out, again and again, that living things seem to have a self-organizing quality. Proteins fold. Enzymes interact. Cells arrange themselves to form organs and the organs arrange themselves to form a coherent individual. Individuals organize themselves to make a population. And populations organize themselves to make a coherent biosphere. From complexity theory, we're starting to have a sense of how this self-organization may happen, and what it means. And it implies a major change in how we view evolution.
The concept of self-organization in living systems is evident in various biological processes. Proteins naturally fold into specific shapes, enzymes work together through interactions, and cells coordinate to form complex organs. This organization is not random; it reflects a pattern that extends from individual organisms to populations and ultimately to entire ecosystems, suggesting a deeper interconnectedness in life’s complexity.
Recent insights from complexity theory provide a framework for understanding this self-organizing principle, challenging traditional views of evolution. Rather than seeing evolution as solely a linear process, it now appears to involve intricate relationships and organizational patterns that contribute to the emergence of biological diversity and coherence within the biosphere.
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