Table 1.

Machines, Dissipative Structures and Organisms.

Machines	Dissipative Structures & Organisms
Mechanics is the foundational science	Thermodynamics is the foundational science.
Structure originates from an external source by design.	Structure originates from and maintained by irreversible processes within the system.
Irreversible processes decrease functional efficiency of machines. Reducing entropy generation generally increases the efficiency of machines.	Irreversible processes are essential, without them the they would not exist. Entropy generation is an integral part of an organism’s existence. May have end directed-evolution towards state of higher entropy production.
Machines are “fractionable”	Dissipative structures are not “fractionable”.
Analysis can lead to synthesis through assembly of parts.	Analysis as sum of parts does not lead to a possibility of synthesis. Self-assembly/self-replication, not technology, is the route to synthesis.