0286 An example that is closer to Tabaczek’s argument sounds much less lame.

Mitochondria produce ATP from sugar and oxygen.  I breathe in order to supply oxygen to my mitochondria.  I eat toast in order to supply the sugar.

0287 Outside the body, the reaction of sugar with oxygen is called “combustion”_2a.

Inside the body, the degradation of sugar into carbon dioxide and water belongs to the Kreb’s cycle_1b.  The combination of atomic hydrogen (released by the degradation of sugar) with molecular oxygen is called the mitochondrial electron transport chain_1b.  These separated reactions both produce ATP_2b, a high-energy molecule that, given enough time, will degrade back to ADP and P_i (inorganic phosphate).

0288 ATP_2b is one of the currencies of the cell.  All sorts of biosynthetic routes and transportation mechanisms_3c within a eukaryotic cell will take the ATP, which has three covalently bound phosphates, then pop off the last phosphate_1b, and use the released energy to do biochemical or kinetic work_2c.

0289 Here is a picture of the Deacon-Tabaczek interscope for mitochondria.

0290 On the adjusted thermodynamic or content level, the normal context of orthograde reactions_3a brings the actuality of the transfer of electrons from sugar to oxygen_2a (yielding water and carbon dioxide)_2a into relation with the potential of ‘the chemistry of glucose and oxygen’_1a.  

On the homeodynamic level, the normal context of cellular matrix and mitochondria_2b bring the actuality of ATP (as an emergent being)_2b into relation with the potential of ‘the Kreb’s cycle and the mitochondrial electron-transport chain’_1b.

On the morphodynamic level, the normal context of staying alive_3c brings the actuality of biosynthesis and cellular transport_2c into relation with the potential of ‘utilizing the controlled degradation of ATP in order to do work’_1c.

0291 Now, I turn to biosemiotics.

Recall that Sharov and Tonnessen’s noumenal overlay presents the triadic specifying sign-relation (connecting situation and content levels of an interscope)…

…as a dyadic relational structure.

0292 A specifying sign-relation also stands within the interscope for emergence.

The specifying sign-relation stands out when ATP_2b, as an emergent being, associates to the specifying sign-object (SO_s).  then, other elements of the interscope for mitochondrial respiration fall into slots in the S&T noumenal overlay.