In 'Sign Communication' (Kashiwa Shobo 1989), which was compiled by Ryuichi Hamaguchi, Yoneji Masuda, myself, and others, a biological information and sign theory has been developed which considers 'information' along with 'energy' and 'materials' as one of the three main elements which are indispensable for the survival of any organism

Information assumes importance with the birth of organisms, while the ability of such organisms to recognize information is indispensable for their choosing of the most appropriate action to ensure their own survival. The identification and evaluation of relations within a given organism is 'information' ... (yukio ota