All systems in biology consist of separate parts that are in constant interaction with each other. Together they form a holistic structural and functional unity. Discreteness in biology is one of the properties of a living organism, which manifests itself at all levels of living matter, where individual elements function as a whole.
Discreteness concept
Translated from Latin (discretus ) with the word "discreteness" means "divided." All systems in biology include, to a greater or lesser degree, separate components, which nevertheless are in close interconnection and constant interaction between themselves. Discreteness in biology is the basis for the ordering of all structures. All representatives of wildlife to one degree or another are isolated from each other, starting with a single cell and ending with entire biosystems.
An important property of living organisms
What is discreteness in biology? Any organism consists of individual cells with their own characteristics, and various intracellular formations are also discretely organized in the cells. Discreteness in biology is the discontinuity of the structure of a biosystem. This important property makes it possible to regularly self-update in various ways, including by replacing the structural elements that have lost their functionality without stopping the operation of the entire system as a whole.
Discreteness and Integrity in Biology
Such properties of living organisms as discreteness and integrity are opposite and at the same time complementary concepts, two sides of the same coin. Discreteness in biology - what is it? Integrity is the structural and functional unity of biosystems, the isolated components of which are a single whole. The world of wildlife is holistic and discrete at the same time. And with these properties are connected various levels of organization of organics.
Discreteness in biology is a property of living organisms, which is expressed in ordering. Each living organism can be called discrete, since it consists of units that have their own levels of organization: organs from tissues, tissue from cells, and so on. If you look from the other side, then the organism itself is an integral part of various biological microsystems (species, population, biocenosis, and so on). Biosystems are considered according to their organization. They are graded according to difficulty levels and are usually included in each other. The following levels of relative organization of the organic world are distinguished:
- molecular genetic;
- organismic;
- population-specific;
- biogeocenotic.
The law of discreteness and continuity of biological information
According to the Morgan – Efrussi law, the division into genes, chromosomes, molecules, proteins, as well as individual reflexes of nervous activity express the discontinuity of biological information. And its integrity is not reduced to a simple addition of all components, since the informational definition, development and functioning of a living organism are complex and multi-stage processes that are carried out at the gene, genomic and supra-genomic levels. What is discreteness as a common property of living in biology? At the genetic and molecular levels, the study of this issue has become possible thanks to the advancement of the chromosome theory of heredity and the elucidation of the nature of DNA.
Additional opportunity for evolution
Discreteness is the basis for structural ordering. In addition, there is the possibility of replacing individual parts without interrupting the functionality of the whole organism. Thus, the process of evolution in the global sense becomes possible by the extinction of unsuitable individuals and the continuation of the conservation of organisms with the necessary traits in certain conditions. Describing examples of discreteness in biology, it is worth mentioning that this property manifests itself at all levels of living matter. During a burn, the affected cells are rejected, while the functioning of the remaining epithelium does not stop.
General property of matter
When answering the question of what discreteness is in biology, it is important to understand that this concept is also applicable in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and a number of other sciences. If we are talking about the elements of living nature, this property means the division of all biological systems into separate isolated and at the same time interconnected elements that form a certain unity at the structural and functional levels. A set of biogeocenoses associated with the circulation of substances and energy forms an integral system on the Earth's surface, called the biosphere.
In a science such as chemistry, discreteness is presented as the division of matter into the smallest components - molecules and atoms. Physics considers this concept at an even more advanced level - the level of elementary particles. Quantum mechanics (electrons in atoms) is also based on discontinuities. The huge Universe includes an infinite number of galaxies, stars, planets and so on, and this is already an area of astrophysics, which also has its own discreteness. In biology, this is a division into cells, organs, species, populations, and so on, in mathematics - countable sets, where the concept of discontinuity takes no more place in probability theory, number theory, and so on.