| | It is not clear that these systems could yet be called autopoietic. First, the raw materials(the water-lithium mixture or the enzyme catalyst) are not produced within the system. This limits the amount of replication which can occur; the system eventually stops. Even if these materials could be added on a regular basis, the system would still not be self-producing. Second, the single-layer surfactant does not allow transport of raw materials into the micelle. For this to happen, a double-layer boundary would be necessary, as exists in actual cell membranes. Moreover, the researchers themselves, and seem most interested in the fact that the micelles reproduce themselves, and seem to identify this as autopoietic. However, reproduction of the whole is quite secondary to the autopoietic process of self-production of components. Nevertheless, this does represent an interesting step toward generating real autopoietic systems. | | It is not clear that these systems could yet be called autopoietic. First, the raw materials(the water-lithium mixture or the enzyme catalyst) are not produced within the system. This limits the amount of replication which can occur; the system eventually stops. Even if these materials could be added on a regular basis, the system would still not be self-producing. Second, the single-layer surfactant does not allow transport of raw materials into the micelle. For this to happen, a double-layer boundary would be necessary, as exists in actual cell membranes. Moreover, the researchers themselves, and seem most interested in the fact that the micelles reproduce themselves, and seem to identify this as autopoietic. However, reproduction of the whole is quite secondary to the autopoietic process of self-production of components. Nevertheless, this does represent an interesting step toward generating real autopoietic systems. |