If cells operate in a similar fashion, where adaptation to externalities encodes itself into a durable surface of arbitrary pockets, then we have a recipe for inert systems exhibiting variable degrees of behavior, which is capable of evolving over time.
This doesn't solve for sentience, but it does solve for expressive adaptation to fit into complex, hostile environments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9c-_neaxeU
If cells operate in a similar fashion, where adaptation to externalities encodes itself into a durable surface of arbitrary pockets, then we have a recipe for inert systems exhibiting variable degrees of behavior, which is capable of evolving over time.
This doesn't solve for sentience, but it does solve for expressive adaptation to fit into complex, hostile environments.