Some computational models at the cellular level.

Abstract

A number of viewpoints on how a cell can be modelled are discussed in this paper in light of the ability it has to process information. The paper begins with a very brief summary of four general types of computation: sequential, parallel, distributed, and emergent. These form the general framework from which a number of comparisons are made. Several metaphors are introduced to enable reflections to be made about cellular computational properties. The most important metaphor, namely the cell as a machine, is discussed, and then a number of other ideas are introduced that complement much current thinking in this area. The idea of networks or circuits in the cell is then developed, as this provides a means of describing the mechanisms within a machine. Following on from this, three further metaphors are applied in order to overcome certain limitations in current machine thinking, cell-as-society, cell-as-text, and cell-as-field.