Nature builds imperfect things that work perfectly. Each Maple leaf is atomically unique, but incontrovertibly a member of its class. Nature has no flaws, only miracles...  once we know how each molecule behaves, and how it interacts with its fellow citizens, we can predict the communities these molecules will form. From knowledge of the rules each molecule obeys, we can predict the emergence of the structure and function of a material---a molecular society and, ultimately, a material culture. Beating heart muscle. Pollutant-filtering molecular sponges. Energy-harvesting solar cells.
~From what I'm reading; "The Dance of Molecules" by Ted Sargent.