On the basis of her own studies in the area of early ontogenesis, as well as of work by other researchers, the author argues that the single system of perception and action can be divided into two subsystems, that of perceptual control and that of identification or recognition. They differ in several regards: in ways of interacting with the world (allocentric vs. egocentric), in types of codifying and storing information (modality unspecific coding vs. modality specific coding), in degrees of awareness (higher degree of awareness is characteristic of the subsystem of identification), and in effects of anticipation (anticipation in time and space vs. selective anticipation). Both subsystems appear and develop from birth onward, but the subsystem of perceptual control reaches the stage of mature organisation earlier that the one that deals with identification. Although they have different features, both subsystems are controlled by hierarchically organised representations. Either of them may become dominant in response to a certain task.