Sentient cells as basic units of tissues, organs and organismal physiology

Abstract

Cells evolved some 4 billion years ago, and since then the integrity of the structural and functional continuity of cellular life has been maintained via highly conserved and ancient processes of cell reproduction and division. The plasma membrane as well as all the cytoplasmic structures are reproduced and inherited uninterruptedly by each of the two daughter cells resulting from every cell division. Although our understanding of the evolutionary emergence of the very first cells is obscured by the extremely long timeline since that revolutionary event, the generally accepted position is that the de novo formation of cells is not possible; all present cells are products of other prior cells. This essential biological principle was first discovered by Robert Remak and then effectively coined as Omnis Cellula e Cellula (every cell of the cell) by Rudolf Virchow: all currently living cells have direct structural and functional connections to the very first cells. Based on our previous theoretical analysis, all cells are endowed with individual sentient cognition that guides their individual agency, behaviour and evolution. There is a vital consequence of this new sentient and cognitive view of cells: when cells assemble as functional tissue ecologies and organs within multicellular organisms, including plants, animals and humans, these cellular aggregates display derivative versions of aggregate tissue‐ and organ‐specific sentience and consciousness. This innovative view of the evolution and physiology of all currently living organisms supports a singular principle: all organismal physiology is based on cellular physiology that extends from unicellular roots.

The Sentient Cell: Implications for Osteopathic Medicine

“…From an evolutionary point of view, the cell can evolve, managing the information it receives, through evaluations and responses, and not simply by passive adaptation [ 18 ]. Without the capacity for active evaluation, the cell, as we know it, would not exist; this vision is part of cognition-based evolution, which differs from neo-Darwinism [ 18 ].…”

“…From an evolutionary point of view, the cell can evolve, managing the information it receives, through evaluations and responses, and not simply by passive adaptation [ 18 ]. Without the capacity for active evaluation, the cell, as we know it, would not exist; this vision is part of cognition-based evolution, which differs from neo-Darwinism [ 18 ]. From an osteopathic point of view, we might think that there is always an active bidirectional reciprocal relationship between the patient and the clinician; the patient does not undergo manual treatment, but through the sum of sentient cells (the body), he reacts with sentience and seeks self-healing, which is the fundamental concept of OM [ 19 ].…”

“…Through the fascial continuum, the cell perceives the information it receives and sends, thanks to the cytoskeleton and all the structures such as ion channels, receptors, sensors, and other strategies that allow communication. These structures are considered the senses of the cell, as illustrated by the cellular basis of consciousness theory [ 18 ]. Furthermore, cellular plasma fluids are the foundation for sensory perception; the fluids allow the transmission and morphological and functional adaptation of the different structures that constitute the cell [ 18 ].…”

“…These structures are considered the senses of the cell, as illustrated by the cellular basis of consciousness theory [ 18 ]. Furthermore, cellular plasma fluids are the foundation for sensory perception; the fluids allow the transmission and morphological and functional adaptation of the different structures that constitute the cell [ 18 ]. Fluids, according to the vision of this theory, are fundamental for the transport of electromagnetic signals, which make solid cellular structures capable of better processing information [ 18 ].…”

“…The tissue/fascial continuum derives from sentient communication between cells, with the aim of having (informational) efficiency for self-preservation [ 18 , 21 ]. The union of multiple cells allows the single cell to better perceive the information and manage itself: this concept is called "the wisdom of crowds" [ 21 ].…”