What is autopoiesis theory?
Autopoiesis describes the capacity of an entity to reproduce itself. As a concept, it was first introduced in theoretical biology to explain cognition and the essence of life (see Maturana and Varela, 1980) and was then further developed in general systems theory (for example, von Förster, 1984).
Are viruses Autopoietic?
Even though the theory of autopoiesis is based on cellular life, viruses can fit in this definition since they have their own organization, and viral complexity is reached by viruses within coordinate and rearrange membranes and the cytoskeleton and even the interaction of the infected cell with neighboring cells ( …
Who defined a virus?
A virus is an infectious agent of small size and simple composition that can multiply only in living cells of animals, plants, or bacteria.
What best describes a virus?
A virus is a small collection of genetic code, either DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protein coat. A virus cannot replicate alone. Viruses must infect cells and use components of the host cell to make copies of themselves. Often, they kill the host cell in the process, and cause damage to the host organism.
Is a virus living?
Viruses are not living things. Viruses are complicated assemblies of molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates, but on their own they can do nothing until they enter a living cell. Without cells, viruses would not be able to multiply. Therefore, viruses are not living things.
What is the meaning of autopoiesis?
Meaning. Autopoiesis was originally presented as a system description that was said to define and explain the nature of living systems. A canonical example of an autopoietic system is the biological cell. The eukaryotic cell, for example, is made of various biochemical components such as nucleic acids and proteins,…
Is autopoiesis connected to cognition?
The connection of autopoiesis to cognition, or if necessary, of living systems to cognition, is an objective assessment ascertainable by observation of a living system. One question that arises is about the connection between cognition seen in this manner and consciousness.
What is an autopoietic machine?
Page 78: An autopoietic machine is a machine organized (defined as a unity) as a network of processes of production (transformation and destruction) of components which: (i) through their interactions and transformations continuously regenerate and realize the network of processes (relations) that produced them;
What is the relationship between autopoiesis and complexity?
Relation to complexity. Autopoiesis can be defined as the ratio between the complexity of a system and the complexity of its environment. This generalized view of autopoiesis considers systems as self-producing not in terms of their physical components, but in terms of its organization, which can be measured in terms of information and complexity.
What is autopoiesis in family therapy?
Autopoiesis is the process where a living system internally responds to messages from all components of itself in order to preserve its organization enabling the system to exist and remain identifiable (Leyland 1988).
What is the etymology of autopoiesis?
The term autopoiesis (from Greek αὐτo- (auto-) ‘self’, and ποίησις (poiesis) ‘creation, production’) refers to a system capable of producing and maintaining itself by creating its own parts.
Are humans Autopoietic?
Following Varela and Maturana, she contends that every human order is an “autopoietic, autonomously functioning, languaging, living system” (Wynter 2015, 32).
Who invented autopoiesis?
The theory of autopoiesis was developed by the two Chilean cognitive biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela in the sixties and early seventies.
What is an example of structural coupling?
But what is structural coupling in a more material sense? A horse and a rider structurally couple while the rider is riding the horse. The two entities, clearly, are not bound together to form a Centaur; decoupling is always possible.
What is structural coupling?
Structural Coupling: A situation in which a structurally coupled relationship exists between the agent and the environment is required for a system to count as being embodied. From: Handbook of Cognitive Science, 2008.
What is coupling in sociology?
Communication is the autonomous production of a social system. The relationship between psychic systems and social systems can be defined as “structural coupling.”Such a coupling is realized in two steps. In this way, commuiaic&on forms (social structures) may perturb a psychic system.
What is the main benefit of the principle of loose coupling?
The goal of a loose coupling architecture is to reduce the risk that a change made within one element will create unanticipated changes within other elements. Limiting interconnections can help isolate problems when things go wrong and simplify testing, maintenance and troubleshooting procedures.