Organisms are, to varying degrees, self healing. Science and technology can help organisms to heal – sometimes a lot – and can diagnose, measure, and monitor aspects of disease that organisms typically can’t observe.
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Objects exchange molecules upon contact. Residue left by each can start a new growth pattern, such as crystallization, on its new host. Those who have an instinct for assessing and doing what needs to be done, and for taking care of others’ needs, lift the spirits and improve the lives of those around them. Advanced medical therapies involve molecular robots programmed to ‘crawl’ around the outside of targeted cells (such as cancer cells) after recognizing diagnostic cell-surface markers that identify them as malign. As the molecule interacts with the cell membrane it effectively cuts it open, destroying the cell. A microfluidic chip is a network of tubes, valves, reaction chambers and sensors packed into a small device capable of making sophisticated medical diagnoses. Self-healing objects are capable of repairing damage to their structure. They range from simple (e.g. water) to complex (e.g. a salamander’s tail). In molecular biology, self-repairing fragments are good candidates for mutation, and therefore evolution. The process of mathematical discovery may itself be self-healing, as it balances the confusion caused by real-world paradoxes. DNA microarray chips allow doctors and scientists to read the internal workings of a cell. A single chip can have hundreds of thousands of pixels, each of which can detect the presence of RNA for a specific gene, or a certain genetic mutation. This information can lead to novel discoveries and insightful diagnoses.
Ann Erpino Fine Art 