|
Judith,
you wrote two expressions I always try to evade
in our dicussions:
"WHY" and "USEFUL". I don't think my reply is
very argumentative
What you wrote is OK, just the question
"Why do enzymes exist"
is misunderstandable for the 2 ways in which a
'why' can be asked:
#1:"what purpose did they
originate for" (the why1) instead of
#2:"in consequence of what way
(how) did they occur"? (why2)
The first variation implies a teleological purpose (to me: out!).
The 2nd variant calls for the creating natural
copmplexity-functions and goes into evolutionary mutation trains - if they
increase the survival skill, they proliferate into coming generations. If not,
they disappear.
The "usefulness" is also twofold: generally we
think about it within our goals of our model-based well-being. In this respect
nothing happens FOR usefulness (to us) in nature. We can identify things as
useful or useless (even harmful?) for us in our views. The other way usefulness
can be thought of is the role they play in natural processes as participation in
continuing or disrupting evolution. It refers to the 'role' of enzymes as you
mentioned.
The "creation" of enzymes is also two-fold,
depending of we do consider "enzymes" in general, or prticular ones within given
organizations. In the meaning of how THEY occurred at all: Variations occur
in all kinds and fashions in the unlimited changes of the world, some are
successful, some are not. It is beyond our 'designing capability' to predict
future variants, since it is part (result) of the natural complexity-functions.
The other 'creation': Once they occurred and became "useful" as you said,
in other words: contributed to the proliferation of the species that carry them,
these 'organizations' evolve in their proliferation complete with producing
those enzymes in their composition continually (together with all other
parts of the well-surviving species.) Your description of their functions seems
adequate to me (whatever that is worth).
John M
|