Life as Bounded Relational Dynamics

A Constitutive and Operational Synthesis for Mammalian Physiology

Author: Kai Wang

Publication: Zenodo Preprint, 10 October 2026

Public version: 1.0

Field: Biology and Life (conceptual and operational synthesis)

Research question

What does the actual living process of a mammalian cell, tissue or organism consist in? The paper identifies it with materially realized, selectively bounded, partly self-maintaining relational dynamics, rather than with a list of constituents or with a separate entity produced by biological processes.

The account distinguishes current physiological activity, physically retained viability or capacity to resume that activity, and individual numerical identity across a possible interruption. A vitrified mammalian embryo and the analogy of a dry river channel illustrate why suspended activity does not necessarily destroy the physical prerequisites of reactivation.

A compact state–relation representation identifies observed physical state, effective causal couplings, boundaries, inputs and physiological history. Examples from intestinal selective barriers and skeletal-muscle loading, unloading and reloading clarify its application. These physiological mechanisms and much of the philosophical framework have substantial direct predecessors. This is a theory-synthesis preprint, not a clinical experiment, a new theorem, a universal life classifier or a demonstrated predictive improvement over existing physiology.

Relationship to Connection Theory

This is an application and elaboration of the core program in mammalian biology, not one of its first three foundational framework papers. It directly supports the site's four linked public essays on life, causal boundaries, biological continuity, and death.

Published preprint and exact-version files

Version DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23271943

All-versions DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23271942

Zenodo record: View public v1.0

PDF: Read the exact-version PDF mirror

The PDF mirror was retrieved from Zenodo's public record and checked against its official file checksum. The public Version 1.0 corresponds to the final preprint prepared from the internally numbered v1.5 manuscript. The DOI identifies a publicly deposited preprint, not peer-review acceptance.