biosis

Biosis is a term derived from the Greek bios meaning life and -sis meaning process or condition. In biology and ecology the word has been used to refer to the living components of a system or to life processes in general.

In historical writings, biosis was used in several senses: as a coarse synonym for life or life processes; in ecology to denote the biotic or living portion of an environment; and occasionally as a counterpart to abiotic factors.

In modern biology the term is rarely used; contemporary terminology generally distinguishes life processes (biogenesis, growth, metabolism) from specific types of organismal interactions (symbiosis, mutualism, parasitism) and from ecosystem-level descriptions.

If encountered, biosis is typically found in historical or philosophical discussions of life, or in translations of older European texts.