organcentric

Organcentric is an adjective used to describe a viewpoint, approach, or framework that centers on the function, structure, or importance of organs, rather than the body as an integrated whole or across systems.

In medicine and biology, organcentric discourse refers to research, clinical practice, or policy that prioritizes organ-specific outcomes or interventions—such as liver-focused diagnostics, kidney-specific therapies, or heart-centered imaging. In education, an organcentric anatomy curriculum teaches anatomy through the lens of individual organs, whereas a holistic or systems-based curriculum integrates multiple organs and physiological networks.

In ethics and health policy, organcentric concerns may involve allocation of resources to certain organs or organ systems, or prioritizing organ transplantation and organ preservation. The term is often used to contrast with more holistic, systems-based, or organism-centered perspectives that emphasize interdependencies among organs and the whole person.

Criticism notes that an organcentric stance can obscure interactions between organs and broader health determinants, potentially neglecting systemic disease, whole-body function, or patient-centered care. As a term, organcentric is not a standard entry in major dictionaries and appears primarily in specialized medical, educational, and philosophical writings. It is often rendered as organ-centric or organ-centered, and is related to discussions of organ-specific research, organ transplantation ethics, and anatomy teaching approaches. See also organ-specific, organ transplantation, holistic medicine, and systems biology.