Mechanism
The underlying process or causal chain that explains *how* something works, not just *what* happens. In biology, mechanisms explain phenomena at the molecular, cellular, or system level through testable cause-and-effect relationships.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 65 chapters:
"... better data on why ferns succeed or fail than on why companies do. Biologists can't survey a fern about its strategic priorities. They have to infer mechanism from observation. They have to understand the actual physics and chemistry of how things work. Business, by contrast, is drowning in surveys, intervi..."
"Some are actively pumped in or out using energy. Some are blocked entirely. Let's get specific about the mechanism. Picture this: right now, wrapped around each of your 37 trillion cells, there's a wall thinner than a soap bubble."
"But they can rouse themselves in minutes when conditions change. The Lesson: The starvation response isn't failure - it's an evolved survival mechanism. But it comes with costs. Metabolism suppression, muscle loss, organ shrinkage, and persistent metabolic depression even after recovery."
"Growth competes with other functions for scarce resources - trade-offs are inevitable None of this is metaphor. This is mechanism. These are the physical, chemical, evolutionary constraints that govern how every organism on Earth grows - from bacteria to blue whales, from moss t..."
"...al the hypothalamus again: "Getting warmer." The hypothalamus dials back the shivering response. This is negative feedback - the most common control mechanism in biology. When a system deviates from its setpoint, feedback pushes it back. Thermostats. Cruise control. Blood sugar regulation."
And 60 more chapters...
Biological Context
Unlike correlations or descriptions, mechanisms explain causation. For example, 'natural selection' isn't just an observation that traits change—it's a mechanism with specific components: variation, heritability, and differential reproduction. Understanding mechanisms allows prediction and intervention. Biology has identified hundreds of mechanisms governing everything from cell division to ecosystem dynamics.
Business Application
Business advice often offers maxims ('move fast and break things') without explaining the mechanism behind success or failure. Mechanisms are more powerful because they transfer across contexts. Once you understand *why* something works—the causal chain—you can apply it to situations the original author never imagined. See the [full collection of biological mechanisms](/mechanisms/) that drive both living systems and organizations.