FUNCTIONAL COMPARTMENT
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1361 ▶ |
| Object type | Human sciences, Methodology or model |
A region in a not clearly structured system where some elements of a specific type work together.
This notion has been proposed by M. HOPPERT and F. MEYER (1999, p.518). They give as an example the grouping in a specific area in a prokaryote cell of “the molecules required for a particular metabolic activity ”.
This would be a stage preliminary to the appearance of membrane -bounded compartments in the eukaryotes.
The authors add: “Studies… suggest that functional compartments arise spontaneously as a result of the intrinsic properties of the biomolecules themselves and the way they interact with water in the cytoplasm. We have also found that the specific structure of water itself can influence the level of enzyme activity in particular microenvironments”.
These phenomena seem to be good examples of CSANYI's autogenesis, autogenetic systems precursors and zero-systems .
Functional compartments could probably be used as models for the progressive appearance and upbuilding of new structures in human societies, specially during the present planetary globalization process .