sistemico

Sistemico (Spanish: sistémico; Portuguese: sistêmico; Italian: sistemico) is an adjective used to describe something related to a system as a whole or to an entire organism rather than to a single part. The term derives from Latin systema, meaning a set of connected parts or processes.

In medicine, the term indicates involvement of the entire body or multiple organ systems. A systemic disease affects more than one organ or tissue; a systemic infection spreads through the bloodstream. Systemic therapies are those delivered to reach the whole body, such as systemic chemotherapy, systemic corticosteroids, or other drugs given by routes that distribute throughout the body. Systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis are examples of systemic autoimmune diseases.

In pharmacology and agriculture, systemic describes substances or effects that are distributed via the circulatory or vascular system. Systemic administration contrasts with local or topical application. In plants, systemic pesticides and fungicides are absorbed and transported through xylem or phloem, providing protection to the whole plant.

In other disciplines, systemic refers to a holistic view of a system and its interdependencies. Systemic thinking seeks to understand how parts influence each other within a larger network, while systemic risk denotes the potential for widespread impact from a failure in one component of an interconnected system.

Related concepts include systemic disease, systemic therapy, systemic thinking, and systemic infection.