célul
Célul is a term used in speculative discussions of cellular-scale computation and synthetic biology. It denotes a minimal, autonomous processing unit that resides within a cell or cell-like agent and is capable of performing a limited set of computations, decision-making, and resource management. In these contexts, célul units interact with neighboring céluls and with their environment through signaling molecules, metabolic flux, and physical constraints analogous to neuronal or cellular networks. The concept serves to model how information processing could emerge at the subcellular level and to explore efficiency, fault tolerance, and energy budgets in tightly integrated living systems.
Etymology: The word célul is a constructed term combining a root akin to “cell” with a diminutive/neutral
Usage: In fiction and thought experiments, céluls may possess limited memory, a fixed instruction set, and energy
Limitations and criticism: Critics note that célul is a simplification that may overlook emergent properties of
See also: cellular automata, distributed computation in biology, energy-aware computing.