Genes are often described as biological blueprints, but this metaphor can be misleading when taken too literally.
A blueprint exists independently of the building it describes and can be interpreted by an external builder. Living systems do not develop in this way. Organisms are not constructed from outside according to a pre-existing plan. They develop through ongoing interactions among genes, cells, tissues, physiological processes, and environmental conditions.
Genes contribute essential inherited resources to development, but they do not contain a complete specification of the organism. The same genetic sequences can contribute to different developmental outcomes depending on the organisational context within which they are expressed and interpreted.
In APS, genes are therefore understood as components of organised persistence rather than as complete instructions for constructing life. Development is an active organisational process carried out by living systems themselves. Genes contribute to that process, but they do not determine it independently.
APS perspective: Genes are inherited molecular resources that participate in development. They are not autonomous programs or complete blueprints for living organisms.