# Living systems
## MicroSim spec
- **Recommended sim type:** particle/agent simulation
- **Microsimmability score:** 61/100
- **Layout:** agent field (canvas) on top with an order-parameter readout; sliders below.
### Parameters (tunable controls)
- `Number of agents N`
- `Interaction radius`
- `Coupling strength`
### What animates
Many simple agents follow local rules; a global pattern emerges and shifts as the rule parameters change.
### Learning objective
Show how local agent rules produce emergent global order.
## Links (Wikipedia order)
<!-- injected from _registry/childlinks/Living_systems.json (2026-07-30T02:09:12Z) -->
[[Alexander_Bogdanov]] · `Algebraic_topology` · [[Allenna_Leonard]] · [[Anatol_Rapoport]] · [[Anthony_Wilden]] · [[Artificial_life]] · `Autonomous_agent` · `Autonomy` · [[Autopoiesis]] · [[Barbara_J._Grosz]] · `Behavior` · `Biological_interaction` · `Biological_network` · [[Biological_system]] · `Biology` · `Body_plan` · [[Béla_H._Bánáthy]] · [[C._West_Churchman]] · `Category_theory` · `Cell_(biology)` · [[Charles_A._S._Hall]] · [[Claude_Shannon]] · [[Complex_adaptive_system]] · `Complex_network` · [[Complex_system]] · [[Control_theory]] · [[Coupled_human–environment_system]] · [[Cybernetics]] · `Developmental_biology` · [[Donella_Meadows]] · [[Doubling_time]] · [[Earth_system_science]] · [[Ecology]] · `Economic_system` · [[Ecosystem]] · [[Edsger_W._Dijkstra]] · [[Edward_Norton_Lorenz]] · [[Energy]] · `Energy_flow_(ecology)` · [[Entropy]] · [[Eric_Trist]] · [[Evolution]] · `Evolutionary_dynamics` · `Extraterrestrial_life` · `Flux` · [[Francisco_Varela]] · `Fred_Emery_(psychologist)` · `Gaia_hypothesis` · [[George_Dantzig]] · [[George_Klir]] · [[Gregory_Bateson]] · `Harold_J._Morowitz` · [[Heinz_von_Foerster]] · `Homochirality` · [[Howard_T._Odum]] · [[Humberto_Maturana]] · [[Ilya_Prigogine]] · [[Information]] · `Information_metabolism` · [[Information_system]] · [[James_Grier_Miller]] · `James_Hutton` · [[James_J._Kay]] · `James_Lovelock` · [[Jay_Wright_Forrester]] · [[Jennifer_Wilby]] · [[John_Seddon]] · [[Kathleen_Carley]] · [[Katia_Sycara]] · [[Kenneth_D._Bailey_(sociologist)]] · `Kenneth_E._Boulding` · [[Kevin_Warwick]] · `Life` · [[Limiting_factor]] · [[List_of_systems_sciences_organizations]] · `List_of_systems_scientists` · [[Ludwig_von_Bertalanffy]] · [[Lydia_Kavraki]] · [[Manfred_Clynes]] · [[Manuela_M._Veloso]] · [[Margaret_Boden]] · [[Margaret_Mead]] · [[Mary_Cartwright]] · `Matter` · `Membrane` · `Metabolism` · [[Mihajlo_D._Mesarovic]] · `Mike_Jackson_(systems_scientist)` · [[Multi-agent_system]] · [[Murray_Bowen]] · `Natural_environment` · `Nature_(journal)` · `Nediljko_Budisa` · [[Negative_feedback]] · `Negentropy` · [[Nervous_system]] · [[Niklas_Luhmann]] · `Non-equilibrium_thermodynamics` · [[Norbert_Wiener]] · `Nucleic_acid_sequence` · [[Open_system_(systems_theory)]] · `Organism` · `Organization` · `Percolation_theory` · [[Peter_Senge]] · `Physiology` · `Population_(biology)` · [[Positive_feedback]] · [[Principia_Cybernetica]] · [[Qian_Xuesen]] · `RNA` · [[Radhika_Nagpal]] · [[Recommender_system]] · `Replicator_equation` · `Robert_Ulanowicz` · `Russell_L._Ackoff` · `Ruzena_Bajcsy` · `SUNY_Press` · [[Self-organization]] · `Social_system` · [[Sociotechnical_system]] · `Space` · `Spome` · [[Stafford_Beer]] · `Steady_state` · [[Stephanie_Forrest]] · [[Structure]] · `Stuart_Kauffman` · [[System]] · [[System_dynamics]] · `Systemics` · `Systems_analysis` · `Systems_art` · [[Systems_biology]] · [[Systems_ecology]] · [[Systems_engineering]] · [[Systems_neuroscience]] · [[Systems_pharmacology]] · `Systems_philosophy` · `Systems_psychology` · [[Systems_science]] · [[Systems_theory]] · `Systems_theory_in_anthropology` · [[Systems_theory_in_archaeology]] · [[Systems_theory_in_political_science]] · [[Systems_thinking]] · [[Talcott_Parsons]] · `Thermodynamic_cycle` · `Thermodynamic_free_energy` · `Time` · [[Twelve_leverage_points]] · [[Urban_metabolism]] · `Victor_Aladjev` · `World-systems_theory`
## From the Real GENERATIVE library
*Living systems — placed from the Real G.E.N.E.R.A.T.I.V.E. course library (Engineering room). Source: Wikimedia Commons (via Wikipedia article media). [Details & license](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Definition_of_cellular_life_NB.jpg).*
> Living systems are life forms (or, more colloquially known as living things) treated as a system. They are said to be open self-organizing and said to interact with their environment. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_systems))
<!-- REAL-GENERATIVE-MEDIA:END -->
> p5.js MicroSim stub · part of [[System]] · [Wikipedia source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_systems)
> Relation: subfield of System.
## Concept summary
Living systems are life forms (or, more colloquially known as living things) treated as a system. They are said to be open self-organizing and said to interact with their environment.
## Build checklist
- [ ] Claim it: set `status: in-progress` + `lease` + `leased_at`
- [ ] Write the child page explaining the concept (tie it back to system)
- [ ] Finalize parameter ranges and defaults
- [ ] Implement the p5.js sketch (drawing + control regions)
- [ ] Add caption + the learning objective on the page
- [ ] Set `status: done`
## p5.js sketch
```javascript
// MicroSim: Living systems
let controls = {};
function setup() {
// createCanvas(...); create sliders for the parameters above.
}
function draw() {
// background(...); read controls; render particle/agent simulation; respond live.
}
```
---
Back to [[System]] · Wikipedia: [Living systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_systems)
---
<!-- SEMIOTIC-PROFILE:START -->
## Semiotic profile
> *The semiotic universals this article invokes, machine-derived from the crossref — **unverified** (born so). Populated 2026-07-06 for the Systems room.*
**Universals (2):** 🟡 system (10) · 🟢 emergence (2)
**Enter by sign:** Systems Semiotic Gateway · Alphabetum · Icon Registry · ← Systems Portal
<!-- SEMIOTIC-PROFILE:END -->
<!-- REAL-GENERATIVE-MEDIA:START -->
## Wikipedia : Wikitube
**Strict pair:** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_systems) : [Wikitube](https://en.wikitube.io/wiki/Living_systems)
## Previous hub tags
Tree parents: [[Control_theory]] · [[Cybernetics]] · [[Emergence]] · [[Operations_research]] · [[Reliability_engineering]] · [[System_dynamics]] · [[Systems_engineering]] · [[Systems_science]] · [[Systems_theory]].
Legacy hubs: none.
---
*Sources: 1 legacy note. Minted wave 1, 2026-07-30 (v1.6 order).*