Chapter 1: Complexity 9
roots. In simpler terms, there is a clear separation of concerns among the parts at different
levels of abstraction.
In a computer, we find NAND gates used in the design of the CPU as well as in the hard disk
drive. Likewise, a considerable amount of commonality cuts across all parts of the structural
hierarchy of a plant. This is God's way of achieving an economy of expression. For example,
cells serve as the basic building blocks in all structures of a plant; ultimately, the roots, stems,
and leaves of a plant are all composed of cells. Yet, although each of these primitive elements
is indeed a cell, there are many different kinds of cells. For example, there are cells with and
without chloroplasts, cells with walls that are impervious to water and cells with walls that
are permeable, and even living cells and dead cells.
In studying the morphology of a plant, we do not find individual parts that are each
responsible for only one small step in a single larger process, such as photosynthesis. In fact,
there are no centralized parts that directly coordinate the activities of lower level ones.
Instead, we find separate parts that act as independent agents, each of which exhibits some
fairly complex behavior, and each of which contributes to many higher-level functions. Only
through the mutual cooperation of meaningful collections of these agents do we see the
higher-level functionality of a plant. The science of complexity calls this emergent behavior: The
behavior of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts [6].
Turning briefly to the field of zoology, we note that multicellular animals exhibit a
hierarchical structure similar to that of plants: collections of cells form tissues, tissues work
together as organs, clusters of organs define systems (such as the digestive system), and so
on. We cannot help but again notice God's awesome economy of expression: the fundamental
building block of all animal matter is the cell, just as the cell is the elementary structure of all
plant life. Granted, there are differences between these two. For example, plant cells are
enclosed by rigid cellulose walls, but animal cells are not. Notwithstanding these differences,
however, both of these structures are undeniably cells. This is an example of commonality
that crosses domains.
A number of mechanisms above the cellular level are also shared by plant and animal fife. For
example, both use some sort of vascular system to transport nutrients within the organism,
and both exhibit differentiation by sex among members of the same species.
The Structure of Matter The study of fields as diverse as astronomy and nuclear physics
provides us with many other examples of incredibly complex systems. Spanning these two
disciplines, we find yet another structural hierarchy. Astronomers study galaxies that are
arranged in clusters, and stars, planets, and various debris are the constituents of galaxies.
Likewise, nuclear physicists are concerned with a structural hierarchy, but one on an entirely
different scale. Atoms are made up of electrons, protons, and neutrons; electrons appear to be
elementary particles, but protons, neutrons, and other particles are formed from more basic
components called quarks.