All living organisms exist in dynamic environmental conditions that are continuously changing.
Changes in the environment are detected by the senses of the living organism, signalling a need to adapt to changing conditions.
The living organism adapts to these changing conditions to sustain its connection to the environment, so far is these changes do not end the composite unity of the living organism.
When the living organism has adapted to its capacity, it changes its connection to the environment, restricting the flow of connectivity to the environment to preserve its composite unity.
When the living organism changes its connectivity to the environment, it changes the quality and character of its contribution to the environmental conditions.
The change in connectivity flowing from the living organism to the environment changes the composite unity of the environment.
When the composite unity of the environment changes, the living organism detects these changes and responds to sustain life and connectivity with the environment. Living systems are learning systems in states of constant knowledge-generation.
Maturana, H. R., & Varela, F. J. (1980). Autopoiesis and cognition: The realization of the living. Dordrecht, Holland / Boston, USA / London, England: D. Reidel Publishing Company.
SFU Symposium 2014 