Page "Emergence" Paragraph 38

It is useful to distinguish three forms of emergent structures.

A first-order emergent structure occurs as a result of shape interactions ( for example, hydrogen bonds in water molecules lead to surface tension ).

A Second-order emergent structure involves shape interactions played out sequentially over time ( for example, changing atmospheric conditions as a snowflake falls to the ground build upon and alter its form ).

Finally, a third-order emergent structure is a consequence of shape, time, and heritable instructions.

For example, an organism's genetic code sets boundary conditions on the interaction of biological systems in space and time.