Life as an Information System: Between Chemistry and Architecture

This publication offers a critical look at contemporary biological definitions, rejecting both naive materialism and metaphysical pathos. The authors propose a conceptualization of life as a complex information system, in which not only chemistry itself but, above all, biological architecture and feedback systems play a key role. The text discusses the transition from simple molecular reactions to autonomous organisms, utilizing the tools of information physics and the RNA world hypothesis. The analysis also encompasses the broader astrobiological context, including the concept of lithopanspermia, and challenges the validity of reductionism in describing the complexity of living systems. This comprehensive account of a new paradigm in biology challenges the current understanding of biogenesis and Darwinian evolution, pointing to the paramount role of biological coding in shaping living structures.