Evolutionary simulations of autopoietic cells with cognition

TL;DR

This paper presents evolutionary simulations of autopoietic cells that incorporate cognition, demonstrating how metabolic plasticity and membrane regulation enable adaptation and co-evolution with their environment.

Contribution

It introduces autopoietic models with cognition and explores their evolution through simulation, highlighting the co-evolution of cells and environment.

Findings

Cognitive cells adapt and evolve in simulated environments.

Metabolic plasticity and membrane regulation are key to cognition.

Co-evolution of cells and environment demonstrated.

Abstract

The minimal requirements for life are autopoiesis and cognition. We propose autopoietic models with cognition and perform three classes of evolutionary simulation. In our models the plasticity of the metabolic cycle and the regulation function of the membrane are the bases for the cognition. The cognitive cells show the adaptation and the evolution. The environment also shows the evolution via the interaction with the system of cells. This is a prototype of the co-evolution of the living system and its environment.