Biology
Organism
An individual living thing capable of carrying out life processes: metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to environment. Organisms range from single cells to complex multicellular beings.
Biological Context
Organisms maintain boundaries separating self from environment. They process energy and materials, maintain internal conditions, and produce offspring. Organisms exist at multiple scales—cells within tissues within organs within individuals within populations.
Business Application
Organizations as organisms: bounded entities that metabolize resources, maintain internal conditions, grow, and reproduce. The organismal metaphor highlights integration, boundaries, and life cycle. Unlike machines, organisms adapt, heal, and evolve.