Architecture
Biology
In Continuum taxonomy, an Architecture defines the **organizational structure of life within a given Domain**. It describes how an organism’s substance is arranged, controlled, and maintained as a living system.
Architecture answers the question: How is this life organized?
Each Architecture exists *within* a Domain and cannot be defined independently of material or energetic substrate.
Definition
An Architecture classifies life according to:
- cellular or non-cellular organization
- internal compartmentalization
- control and information flow
- scale of individuality (single entity, colony, distributed system)
- persistence of identity over time
Different Domains may support different Architectures, and similar organizational strategies may arise independently across Domains.
Carbonia Architectures
Within the Domain Carbonia, the following Architectures are recognized:
Prokaryotic
Simple cellular organization without internal compartmentalization.
- No nucleus or membrane-bound organelles
- Direct coupling of metabolism and genetic control
- Rapid reproduction and mutation
- Typically unicellular or colonial
Bacterial
A specialized prokaryotic Architecture distinguished by unique cellular chemistry and metabolic diversity.
- Distinct from other prokaryotic analogues
- Extreme ecological adaptability
- Dominant in early and extreme biospheres
Eukaryotic
Complex cellular organization with internal compartmentalization.
- Nucleus and specialized organelles
- Centralized control systems
- Enables multicellularity and complex cognition
- Supports the greatest diversity of macroscopic life
Non-Carbonia Architectures
Other Domains support their own Architectures, including but not limited to:
- Crystillia (Lithoid) – lattice-based, modular internal structure
- Coherent (Luxiva) – field- or resonance-based organization without fixed anatomy
These are classified as taxonomical groups rather than ranks and are handled using the Taxon framework.
Role in Taxonomy
Architecture is the first rank at which biological structure becomes meaningful. Organisms sharing a Domain but not an Architecture are fundamentally incompatible in terms of reproduction, medicine, and ecology.
Architecture determines:
- limits of biological complexity
- viable evolutionary pathways
- medical and technological compatibility
- feasibility of hybridization or ascension