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Principles of self-generation and self-maintenance.

U an der Heiden, G Roth, H Schwegler

    Acta Biotheoretica
    |January 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary

    Living systems are unique self-generating and self-maintaining entities. Understanding these principles is key to distinguishing life from machines and exploring organismal organization, structure, function, and evolution.

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    Area of Science:

    • Biology
    • Systems Theory
    • Philosophy of Science

    Background:

    • Living systems are complex entities.
    • Existing definitions of life lack clarity.
    • Distinguishing living from non-living systems is a fundamental challenge.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To clarify general notions of processes, systems, and interactions in living organisms.
    • To define and exemplify the properties of self-generating systems.
    • To establish self-maintenance as a key characteristic of living systems.

    Main Methods:

    • Conceptual analysis of biological systems.
    • Distinction between living beings and machines based on self-generation.
    • Discussion of self-maintenance as a defining property.

    Main Results:

    • Living systems are characterized by self-generation (producing their own parts) and self-maintenance.
    • Self-generation allows a clear distinction between living organisms and artificial machines.
    • Self-maintenance represents a unique and stronger condition for living systems.

    Conclusions:

    • The principles of self-generation and self-maintenance provide a robust framework for understanding life.
    • These principles have profound implications for the organization, structure, function, and evolution of all organisms.
    • A clear conceptualization of living systems aids in integrating diverse biological knowledge.

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