What is autopoiesis?
Q: What is autopoiesis?
A: Autopoiesis is a term used to describe life and other self-organising systems. It refers to a system which can reproduce and sustain itself.
Q: Who first introduced the term autopoiesis?
A: The term autopoiesis was introduced by Chilean biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela in 1972.
Q: What does autopoiesis mean in literal terms?
A: Autopoiesis means "self-creation or self-production".
Q: What did the term originally refer to?
A: The term originally referred to the self-maintaining chemistry of living cells.
Q: Besides living cells, to what other areas of study has the concept of autopoiesis been applied to?
A: Besides living cells, the concept of autopoiesis has also been applied to systems theory and sociology.
Q: What is the importance of autopoiesis in biology?
A: The importance of autopoiesis in biology is that it helps in understanding the self-maintaining capability of living cells.
Q: Can autopoiesis be observed in non-living systems?
A: No, autopoiesis can only be observed in living and self-organising systems.
