Consciousness as a Dynamic Balance of Cellular Homeostasis: A Theoretical Hypothesis
International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.21275/sr26728075755 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Consciousness Multicellular organism Embodied cognition Identification biology Principal computer security Balance ability Function biology Living systems Cognitive science Integrated information theory Adaptive response Information integration Control management Cognitive psychology Information processing Functional integration State computer science |
| Key points | Proposes that consciousness arises from organism-wide integration of physiological information during homeostatic regulation, with the brain as integrator rather than sole origin, and suggests quantum biological mechanisms as future research avenues. |
Abstract
Consciousness remains one of the most challenging questions in modern science. This theoretical hypothesis proposes that consciousness may emerge from the continuous integration of physiological information generated throughout the living organism during the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Building from the observation that single celled organisms detect environmental changes and coordinate adaptive responses without nervous systems, this paper suggests that every living cell continuously evaluates its physiological state through homeostatic regulation (Bernard, 1865; Cannon, 1932). In multicellular organisms, the brain is proposed to function as the principal integrator of these distributed biological signals rather than the sole origin of consciousness, consistent with concepts of embodied consciousness and information integration (Damasio, 1999; Tononi, 2008). Quantum biological mechanisms are discussed only as potential future avenues for investigation (Hameroff & Penrose, 2014). This framework is intended to encourage interdisciplinary research into organism-wide information integration underlying conscious awareness.