bioloogiatervikuid

Bioloogiatervikuid is an Estonian term used to describe biological wholes—organisms, networks, or ecosystems treated as integrated systems rather than as isolated parts. The word combines bioloogia (biology) and tervik (whole). In philosophy of biology and systems theory, bioloogiatervikud emphasize properties that arise from interactions among components, not merely from their individual parts.

The concept applies across biological scales. At the cellular level, a bioloogiatervik refers to metabolic and regulatory networks that maintain homeostasis. An organism can be viewed as a bioloogiatervik when its organ systems act in concert. At larger scales, populations and ecosystems may be studied as bioloogiatervikud, highlighting interdependencies among organisms, environment, and energy flows.

Researchers use holistic methods—systems biology, network analysis, and integrative modeling—to study bioloogiatervikud. The focus is on emergent properties, feedback loops, resilience, and the limits of reductionism.

The term is not always standardized; in some contexts researchers prefer terms like system, holobiont, or ecological whole depending on the focus. Nevertheless, the notion of biological wholes underpins approaches that seek to understand life as integrated, multi-level systems.