Fig. 2

The physiological individuality continuum. The center of the spectrum represents the theoretical paradigm individual, the “chemoton.” Biological entities at the center are maximally individualistic in that they are less metabolically (or genetically) reliant on other organisms, and their barriers are minimally diffuse. As you move out from the center, biological entities become less individualistic, but for different reasons: biological entities on the left side of the spectrum lack individuality due to their metabolic (and/or genetic) reliance on other organisms. Biological entities on the right side of the spectrum lack individuality due to their diffuse barriers