Cortisol as a Carrier of Physical Information in the Membrane

This conceptual text proposes that cortisol may be understood not only as a biochemical mediator, but also as a carrier of physical information acting through its effects on biological membranes. Building on earlier considerations of nanoparticles as sources of physical perturbation, the article extends this framework to endogenous lipophilic molecules. Due to its ability to insert into lipid bilayers, cortisol can modify membrane organization, mechanical tension, and lateral heterogeneity, thereby altering the physical state of the membrane. Such changes represent a form of physical information encoded in altered energetic and structural configurations rather than in symbolic or molecular signaling pathways.