Organismids

Organismids are a hypothetical classification of biological entities that blur the lines between individual organisms and collective systems. The term itself is not formally recognized in scientific literature but is sometimes used in speculative biology and theoretical discussions. The core concept behind organismids is that certain groups of organisms, or even non-living components, might exhibit emergent properties that suggest a unified, organism-like existence.

This could manifest in several ways. For instance, a colony of microorganisms, such as a bacterial biofilm, might function in a coordinated manner, sharing resources and responding to environmental stimuli as a single unit, even though each bacterium is a distinct individual. Another interpretation could involve symbiotic relationships where different species become so interdependent that their combined activity and survival resemble that of a single, complex organism. In more abstract scenarios, organismids might even encompass complex ecological systems or artificial constructs that display characteristics typically associated with life, such as self-organization, adaptation, and reproduction, albeit in a non-traditional sense. The study of organismids, if it were to become a formal field, would likely focus on understanding the mechanisms of collective behavior and the thresholds at which a collection of parts can be considered a whole.