We’re made of parts. Our skull is distinct from our spine. Our liver does not grade subtly into our intestines. Of course, the parts have to be connected for us to work as a whole: a skull completely separated from a spine is not much good to anyone. But those connections between the parts are relatively few. Our liver is linked to the intestines, but only by a few ducts. That’s a far cry from the intimate bonds between all the cells that make up the liver itself, not to mention the membrane that wraps around it like an astronaut’s suit. The distinctness of the parts of our bodies is reflected in what they do. In the liver, all