From: me22over7@gmail.com   
      
   On 31/12/2025 9:38 am, Ernest Major wrote:   
   > On 30/12/2025 03:54, MarkE wrote:   
   >> 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    
   illisecond-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   
      
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