autopoiesis

Autopoiesis is a biological concept that defines living systems as self-producing and self-maintaining entities. This means that living organisms continuously regulate their composition and boundaries to sustain themselves, distinguishing them from non-living systems.1

Key characteristics of autopoietic systems include:
* Self-production: They create and maintain their own components.2
* Self-maintenance: They regulate their internal environment and repair themselves.2
* Defined boundaries: They are enclosed by a system-generated boundary, such as a cell membrane.2
* Metabolic activity: They require a continuous flow of energy and matter from their environment.2

This concept, developed by Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, emphasizes the self-governing nature of life, where the system's organization is inherent and not imposed by external designers. Even simple bacterial cells are considered autopoietic, while entities like viruses are not because they rely on host cells for their maintenance and reproduction.21