Plant roots: autopoietic and cognitive constructions

Abstract

Many facets reflecting the autopoietic process of Life and Living can be found in plant roots at many levels relevant to their organisation, from cells to ecosystems. At each level, there are sub-processes dedicated to both the auto-reproduction and the self-maintenance of that level, these processes being contained within a boundary appropriate for that level. Auto-reproduction and self-maintenance unite with a third sub-process, cognition, and provide the basis of a coherent multi-levelled programme of root-research.