Note 85

But also in organisms. This is evident from the presence of DNA and its chemical structure. This also is an all-pervading  determination (it is everywhere present in the body of at least multicellular organism), which is not erased as a result of amputation of one or another part of the organismic body. The chemical structure of the DNA is dictated by the organism's dynamical law.
Let me expound this further.
One or another part of the dynamical law of a given organism could be the instruction to synthesize a certain proteine (DNA contains many such instructions). The protein to be synthesized consists of a well defined sequence of amino acids coupled together (in addition this chain of amino acids is in the case of many different proteins folded in a complicated way). This amino acid sequence implies, via the Genetic Code, a sequence of nucleotides (in fact a sequence of nucleotide triplets) in the DNA, in virtue of which the protein to be produced is coded for in the DNA. This series of consecutive nucleotides thus is part of (i.e. is constitutive for) the chemical structure of the DNA. Precisely the same story goes for each protein species to be synthesized. So the DNA structure is dictated by the nature of the instructions that must be engraved in it. It is also dictated by the way in which those instructions should appear in the DNA, and in this way it is co-dictated by the  Genetic Code  ( 'used' by all known organisms). This code lets a given nucleotide triplet correspond to a definite (species of) amino acid, in other words, each nucleotide triplet  means  a certain amino acid (some triplets stand for punctuation marks). In fact here it is about nucleotide triplets of messenger RNA, which are a bit different from the triplets in DNA. They do, however, directly originate from the DNA by way of a 'transcription process'. It is the Genetic Code, which seems to be universal for organisms, that determines the correspondencies. Thus, for example, the RNA nucleotid triplet UCA (which are the nucleotides Uracil, Cytosine and Adenine) codes for the amino acid  Serine,  the triplet AGA (Adenine, Guanine, Adenine) for the amino acid  Arginine,  the triplet UAA for a punctuation mark, etc.
A different Code would entail a different DNA structure. Nevertheless it would be about the same instructions (so with respect to this, the DNA structure would be the same), but the chemical structure would be different.
The Genetic Code is collectively contained in the transport-RNA molecules, but the DNA contains the moulds for these molecules, which means that DNA (also) contains the definition of its own language (See, among others, HOFSTADTER, D. R., Gödel, Escher, Bach, Dutch edition, 1988, p.607 and p.634, English edition, 2000, p.523 and p.546/7 ).

The above account is, however, one that goes from the goal to the means. The real (active) state of affairs in the organism is, of course, precisely the other way around :  the means realizes the goal. The dynamical law is immanently contained in the relevant system elements, partly implicitly, partly more explicitly (namely in the DNA). It accordingly resides in the system elements.
But for the functioning of a given organism a definite garnish of proteins is necessary. In order that these proteins can be produced in (and by) the organism, an evolution has taken place (that is, a phylogenetic development as such involving long series of generations, and large time spans) resulting in the appearance of a mechanism -- in that organism, and in all representatives of its species -- that can produce (synthesize) those proteins. This mechanism is :  the particular DNA structure (combined with a Genetic Code which is in itself arbitrary). And this structure has thus evolutionarily originated and developed (in contradistinction to ontogenetically -- referring to individual development -- originated and developed), and in this (namely evolutionary) dimension it is not primary, but secondary ( = derived), and is thus  a  determination.
The dynamical law causes -- in individual development -- at least the multiplication (repeated copying) of DNA molecules -- which themselves have been, qua structure, evolutionarily developed -- and thus (it causes) the multiplication of the DNA structure everywhere in the organmismic body. Therefore this structure (in its form of all-pervadingly being present) itself is  a  determination,  a determination that pervades the whole body of the organism, and is in this way comparable with  Space Group Plus Chemical Composition (S + C)  in  crystals (that is, in any given individual single crystal), which (S + C) is also an all-pervading  determination.
And because we can consider the DNA structure of a given organism as being  specific  and phenotypic, we can interpret this DNA structure as representing  a  specific proprium.  And because it is all-pervading and thus cannot be destroyed without destroying the Essence of the given organism, we can assess the DNA structure as  a  genuinely  per se  proprium.  So not only crystals possess such genuinely per se propria, organisms have them as well.

Back to main text