Systems that exhibit [[Self-Organization]] and maintain the conditions necessary for self-organization are known as autopoietic systems. Autopoiesis means "self-making." Autopoiesis is generally meant to characterize living systems through the lens of [[Systems Thinking]]; autopoietic systems not only exhibit the conditions necessary for self-organization, but actively maintain those conditions. This is important because there are examples of physical systems that self-organize, but those physical systems can not maintain the conditions for their self-organization. For example, a laser (which is a self-organizing system) will not maintain the conditions for its self-organization without interference from a physicist, but a physicist will maintain the conditions for its self-organization without another physicist. ### Autopoietic Systems An autopoietic system is basically characterized by the following criteria:[^1] 1. The system is *self-bounded*. - There is clear delineation between the interior and exterior of the system. 2. The system is *self-generating*. - All processes that generate the system are performed internally in the system. 3. The system is *self-perpetuating*. - The process which generates the system is continued in order to maintain the system. Autopoietic systems undergo structural changes as a consequence of their behavior. These are distinguished into two forms: [^1] 1. Cyclical structural change. - The structure of the system is regenerated. For example, the cells in your pancreas are recycled every 24 hours; in effect, you get a "new" pancreas every 24 hours, but it is the same system operating. 2. Developmental structural change. - When a system bypasses [[Bifurcation Points]], its behavior essentially shifts from one attractor to another. As this represents increasing complexity, we can also conceive of new connections being formed on the network that represents the system. In short, something novel has been produced; the organism has gone through development. --- #Systems *May 29, 2021* #2021/5 [^1]: [[Web of Life - Fritjof Capra]] p. 208