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It is therefore a state of interacting components that could not function without all its parts. In particular, the term is used by proponents of [[Intelligent Design]] to argue that irreducibly complex biological systems cannot evolve.
It is therefore a state of interacting components that could not function without all its parts. In particular, the term is used by proponents of [[Intelligent Design]] to argue that irreducibly complex biological systems cannot evolve.
The most commonly used examples of irreducibly complex biological systems are the human compound eye, the [[blood clotting cascade]], and the bacterial [[flagellum]].
The most commonly used examples of irreducibly complex biological systems are the human compound eye, the [[blood clotting cascade]], and the bacterial [[flagellum]].
It has been argued that such examples are flawed. Kenneth R. Miller, for example, describes precursors to the flagellum's being used as ionic channels within [[bacteria]], known as the ''Type III Secretory System''.<ref>[http://www.millerandlevine.com/km/evol/design2/article.html The Flagellum Unspun]</ref> Nick Matzke suggests that this is true for most of the structure of the flagellum in general; suggesting that of the 42 proteins found in the flagellum, 40 have already been found in use in different biological pathways.<ref>[http://www.pandasthumb.org/archives/2006/12/ode_to_the_flag.html Ode to the Flagellum</ref> Critics, including biology professor John McDonald, have countered Even Behe's toy model, the mouse trap, used to illustrate the concept. McDonald produced examples of how he considered the mousetrap to be "easy to reduce", eventually to a single part.<ref name=trap>[http://udel.edu/~mcdonald/mousetrap.html A reducibly complex mousetrap] (graphics-intensive, requires [[JavaScript]])</ref> <!--Critics consider that most, or all, of the examples were based on misunderstandings of the workings of the biological systems in question, and consider the low quality of these examples excellent evidence for the argument from ignorance.-->
[[Category:Intelligent design]]
[[Category:Intelligent design]]