Principles of self-generation and self-maintenance

✍ Scribed by U. An Heiden; G. Roth; H. Schwegler

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 587 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0001-5342
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00046778

✦ Synopsis

Living systems are characterized as self-generating and self-maintaining systems. This type of characterization allows integration of a wide variety of detailed knowledge in biology.

The paper clarifies general notions such as processes, systems, and interactions. Basic properties of self-generating systems, ~.e. systems which produce their own parts and hence themselves, are discussed and exemplified. This makes possible a clear distinction between living beings and ordinary machines. Stronger conditions are summarized under the concept of self-maintenance as an almost unique character of living systems. Finally, we discuss the far-reaching consequences that the principles of self-generation and self-maintenance have for the organization, structure, function, and evolution of single-and multi-cellular organisms.