The term autopoietic comes from the Greek words auto (“self”) and poiesis (“creation” or “production”), and it means self-creating or self-producing. It is most commonly used in systems theory and biology to describe systems that maintain and regenerate themselves through their own internal processes.
Key Characteristics of Autopoietic Systems:
1. Self-Organization: They are capable of organizing themselves without external intervention.
2. Self-Maintenance: They produce and regenerate the components necessary for their functioning.
3. Boundary Formation: They create and maintain boundaries that separate them from their environment.
4. Closed Loops: They operate in closed feedback loops, where their processes and structures are self-referential.
Origins of the Concept
The term was introduced by Chilean biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela in the 1970s to explain how living organisms sustain themselves. They argued that life is inherently autopoietic because organisms continually reproduce and maintain their own structure through their metabolism and interactions with the environment.
Examples of Autopoietic Systems
1. Biological Organisms: Cells are classic examples, as they produce the proteins, membranes, and other structures required for their survival.
2. Social Systems: In sociology, the concept is sometimes used to describe self-sustaining systems like organizations or societies.
In essence, an autopoietic system is one that is self-sustaining and capable of producing its own components and maintaining its existence.