semibiological

Semibiological is a term used to describe systems, devices, or entities that are partly biological and partly non-biological. The coinage combines semi- and biological to indicate a partial integration of living tissue, biological processes, or organic materials with synthetic, mechanical, or digital components. There is no single, widely accepted definition, and the term is not common in formal taxonomic or regulatory language; it appears mainly in discussions of synthetic biology, biohybrid devices, and speculative technology.

In scientific contexts, semibiological designs often refer to biohybrid systems where living cells or tissues perform functional roles within an engineered framework. Examples include cardiac or skeletal muscle strips that drive microdevices, living organisms coupled with sensors and actuators, or materials that incorporate enzymes or photosynthetic components into devices. The concept can also describe semi-living materials—biopolymers or tissue scaffolds that retain biological activity while being integrated with non-biological substrates.

In philosophy and ethics, semibiological is used to discuss the moral and ontological status of entities that are neither entirely alive nor purely mechanical, highlighting challenges to traditional boundaries between organisms and artifacts. Critics caution that the term can be vague or context-dependent.

Related terms include biohybrid, semi-synthetic biology, and cyborg, though each emphasizes different aspects of the biological-nonbiological interface. Semibiological remains a descriptive, context-dependent label rather than a fixed scientific category.