From: me22over7@gmail.com   
      
   To reiterate and focus previous discussion:   
      
   1. A human is a system of staggering functional complexity* (as are   
   many/all living things)   
      
   2. The claim that the human genome is 10% functional gives total genomic   
   information to specify this system as only 80 megabytes:   
      
        3.2 billion base pairs x 10% x 2 / 8   
      
   Of course, nonlinear information translations, fractal formation of   
   capillary networks etc are involved in development from the zygote. Even   
   allowing for this and other mechanisms, what amount of information is   
   needed to specify a human?   
      
   My argument is, the genome alone is nowhere near enough, from what we   
   know of the information needed to specify vastly simpler systems   
   designed by humans, even with the acknowledged difficulties in making   
   comparisons.   
      
   Therefore, I propose that the ovum itself as a physico-chemical whole   
   must also be a major source of developmental information embedded in a   
   three-dimensional distribution and structure of complex molecules   
   (cytoplasm, organelles, membrane; RNA, proteins, lipids, sugars).   
      
   My deduction is, the ovum contains a large amount of information for the   
   development of a "generic" human (i.e. the subsystems listed below*);   
   the DNA also (presumably) contains information for the development of a   
   generic human, as well as most/all the information for family traits.   
      
   This is not an argument from incredulity, rather, the burden of proof   
   rests with the claim that 80 MB in DNA is sufficient. Read the summary   
   below carefully, noting it is just that: a summary and tip of an iceberg   
   of a system of "deeply interdependent, multiscale biological   
   architecture, in which trillions of components are dynamically regulated   
   with molecular precision to maintain stability, adaptability".   
      
   If my contention is correct - to any degree - then this would obviously   
   have fundamental implications for the current theory of evolution, and   
   indeed our understanding of ourselves and life itself.   
      
   No denying that this appears to be a grandiose claim. Counterarguments   
   welcome.   
      
   PS   
      
   If I understand correctly, the mainstream view of development does   
   consider genome + maternal provisioning + epigenetic state + physics +   
   environment, with heredity dominated by DNA sequence. A key question   
   then is, does the egg carry substantial additional *heritable*   
   specification for the “generic" human that is not already accounted for   
   as a downstream product of the genome and known inheritance mechanisms?   
      
   _______   
      
      
   * The human body comprises 11 major physiological systems, each   
   exhibiting high functional complexity through scale, precision, and   
   cross-system integration.   
      
   1. The *nervous system* provides rapid information processing, with ~86   
   billion neurons and ~10¹⁴–10¹⁵ synapses enabling millisecond-scale   
   control while consuming ~20% of resting metabolic energy. Humans possess   
   ~2–3× more cortical neurons than great apes, and this difference alone   
   implies orders of magnitude greater combinatorial processing capacity,   
   given synaptic scaling; human prefrontal cortex expansion to ~25–30% of   
   the total cortex gives disproportionately dense long-range connections   
   enabling abstract reasoning, symbolic thought, counterfactual planning,   
   and recursive language.   
      
   2. The *circulatory system* sustains organism-wide transport via   
   ~100,000 km of blood vessels and a heart that beats ~100,000 times per   
   day, continuously distributing oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and immune   
   cells.   
      
   3. The *respiratory system* enables gas exchange through ~300 million   
   alveoli generating ~70 m² of surface area, processing ~10,000 liters of   
   air per day.   
      
   4. The *digestive system* converts food into bioavailable energy along a   
   ~9 m tract, with ~30–40 trillion gut microbes and ~30–40 m² of   
   absorptive surface area in the small intestine.   
      
   5. The *endocrine system* coordinates long-range regulation using   
   hormones effective at picomolar–nanomolar concentrations, exerting   
   organism-wide control through nested feedback loops.   
      
   6. The *immune system* provides adaptive defense with ~10¹¹–10¹² active   
   immune cells and the capacity to generate >10¹² distinct antibody   
   variants with long-term memory.   
      
   7. The *musculoskeletal system* enables movement and structural support   
   through ~206 bones and ~600 muscles, with continuous mechanical loading   
   and bone remodeling (~5–10% annually).   
      
   8. The *integumentary system* forms a multifunctional protective   
   interface covering ~1.5–2.0 m² and containing ~20 billion cells,   
   integrating mechanical protection, sensation, and immune signaling.   
      
   9. The *urinary (renal) system* maintains chemical homeostasis by   
   filtering ~180 liters of blood per day across ~2 million nephrons,   
   reabsorbing >99% of filtrate with high selectivity.   
      
   10. The *reproductive system* supports species continuity through   
   hormonally regulated gamete production (up to hundreds of millions of   
   sperm per day in males) and cyclic reproductive physiology in females.   
      
   11. The *lymphatic system* complements circulation and immunity by   
   returning ~2–4 liters of interstitial fluid daily and coordinating   
   immune surveillance across hundreds of lymph nodes.   
      
   Taken together, these systems form a deeply interdependent, multiscale   
   biological architecture, in which trillions of components are   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)