willil8+more+comments+week+5+addendum

=Gene Semiotics= Queiroz, João2,3 queirozj@gmail.com Emmeche, Claus4 emmeche@nbi.dk**Source:**Semiotica; 2006, Vol. 160 Issue 1-4, p1-68, 68p **Document Type:**Article GENETICS **Author-Supplied Keywords:**gene information process philosophy semiosis biosemiotics C. S. Peirce **Abstract:**Terms loaded with informational connotations are often employed to refer to genes and their dynamics. Indeed, genes are usually perceived by biologists as basically 'the carriers of hereditary information.' Nevertheless, a number of researchers consider such talk as inadequate and 'just metaphorical,' thus expressing a skepticism about the use of the term 'information' and its derivatives in biology as a natural science. First, because the meaning of that term in biology is not as precise as it is, for instance, in the mathematical theory of communication. Second, because it seems to refer to a purported semantic property of genes without theoretically clarifying if any genuinely intrinsic semantics is involved. Biosemiotics, a field that attempts to analyze biological systems as semiotic systems, makes it possible to advance in the understanding of the concept of information in biology. From the perspective of Peircean biosemiotics, we develop here an account of genes as signs, including a detailed analysis of two fundamental processes in the genetic information system (transcription and protein synthesis) that have not been made so far in this field of research. Furthermore, we propose here an account of information based on Peircean semiotics and apply it to our analysis of transcription and protein synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Semiotica is the property of Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts) **Author Affiliations:**1Associate Professor, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil 2Postdoc Researcher, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) 3Invited Researcher, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Brazil 4Associate Professor and Center Director, Center for the Philosophy of Nature and Science Studies, University of Copenhagen **ISSN:**0037-1998 **DOI:**10.1515/SEM.2006.039 **Accession Number:**22914544
 * Title:**A semiotic analysis of the genetic information system.
 * Authors:**El-Hani, Charbel Niño1 charbel@ufba.br
 * Subject Terms:***SEMANTICS
 * SEMIOTICS
 * SIGNS & symbols
 * SYMBOLISM