Re: You are a colony organism

Fallacious Monicre — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:28:31 -0000

I found this article by performing a search for the phrase "you are a colony". I hold a bachelor degree in molecular biology and the point of view that we are not single or individual beings. What's more, we live symbiotically with bacteria, fungi, and other organisms which are found on various mucosa. Without them, we would surely die. We could sooner lose all of our limbs and survive than lose the approximate 3 pounds of microorganisms.

Speaking of the mitochondria, they are symbiotic organisms and organelles present in most cells; all with their own life cycles and distinct DNA. They are present in the ovum of the human female prior to fertilization by the sperm, which itself lacks mitochondria. Our cells provide a relatively harmless, nutrient-rich environment for the mitochondria, and they produce excess of the chemical complex ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which most cellular mechanisms in turn use as a source of chemical energy.

But, this conclusion lead to the notion that our consciousness is a limited device meant to perpetuate the colony, as mentioned above. A plastic, adaptable set of imperatives meant to allow the system to thrive in the local ecology. In a very real sense, humans are no more individual beings than the planet is a single individual being. Because as your consciousness is limited to sensory inputs and motor responses, so are your cells limited to chemical sensory inputs (and there are more than you would imagine) and a chemical-motor response. If you don't believe that, then search for information on cancer and reproduction to learn the impact a single cell may have on the entire body.

Our conscious influence over our bodies is quite limited. Our desires are mostly selfish. Our actions are largely habitual. How might you behave differently if you no longer saw yourself as an individual?

Re: You are a colony organism

Adriana Lima — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:28:39 -0000

I couldn't understand some parts of this article You are a colony organism, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.

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