The process of selecting new information by the organism (<<learning>>) was studied. To take a decision, key patterns have to be set a priori, and so knowledge accumulation (learning) based on pattern recognition is impossible. It was shown that the only physical process that, takes place during the emergence of an external signal is the triggering of a priori programmes. An equivalent biophysical scheme of pattern recognition and taking the decisions by the organism was developed in which a signal received by the receptor leads to the synthesis of one of possible catalysts. The catalyst starts up the corresponding thermodynamic process. The information contained in the organism does not change during this process.