Roczniki Filozoficzne

Volume 53, Issue 2, 2005

Oncogenesis and Emergence

The population, molecular and submolecular (quantum) levels of oncogenesis are considered. The quantum description takes into account the nonlocal Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations, interactions at-the-distance, quantum entanglement and macroscopic quantum coherence. In this approach, cancerogenesis is initiated by destruction of the quantum entanglement of the DNA molecules due to mutation, which leads to appearance of an oncogen and a local decoherence of the organism. In the genetic approach a cancer is the gene disease, whereas in the quantum approach — a disease of the living system. On the basis of the Humphreys criteria, an attempt of the ontological classification of bio- and ontogenesis is made. Those phenomena can be considered in terms of the coherent, synchronic and holistic emergence.