METABOLISM
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 2087 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented |
The set of (synchronic and diachronic) transformations which occur in a living system and allow it to maintain its identity through homeostatic processes.
Metabolism is an internal process within a system
It follows rules that must necessarily be in accordance with the characteristics of the system
For ex. a living system cannot metabolize strychnine
These transformations are principally biochemical and biological and affect the matter and energy flows which enter into the system. L.von BERTALANFFY wrote that: “Metabolism is the maintenance in a steady state” (1969, p.80).
This notion could be generalized:
1) to the transformations affecting the information received by the system;
2) to the meta-living systems that also transform energy, matter and information, obtained from their environment.