A bstract : In this historical treatise two biological‐system theories, formulated in the 1920s and 1930s, are roughly sketched. The first part discusses the concept of a thermodynamically open system, as coined by the Russian pathologist Ervin Bauer (1890–1942). Like Bertalanffy, Bauer wanted to prove the specificity of the biological sciences against physics. To achieve this, he postulated the necessity to formulate specific laws of motion which are valid for living matter alone. In the second part of the paper, the organismic‐system theory of the Austrian‐Canadian philosopher and biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901–1972) is outlined. The focus of this theory relied on the process dynamics that is inherent inside an organismic system. Both theories exemplify closure models for a living organism from a methodical point of view that distinguishes these earlier models from semantic closure, developed by Howard Pattee as an epistemic clue in solving the enigma of living phenomena. The objective here is to disclose the essential differences between these closure conceptions. To encourage further research on closure, the essay concludes with a few questions concerning clarification of the term.

L'A. esquisse quelques approches theoriques sur des concepts de la biologie qui incarnent des questions pouvant se poser lorsque l'on travaille dans les sciences biologiques, dans la mesure ou ils mettent en jeu des domaines se trouvant a l'intersection entre les sciences naturelles et les sciences humaines. Dans un premier temps, il examine la transition entre la semiotique de Peirce et la biosemiotique en se concentrant sur le cadre conceptuel base sur les notions de signe, de symbole et de semiosis. Il applique ensuite certains concepts fondamentaux et certaines constatations de la biosemiotique a des problemes biologiques, et notamment, ceux concernant les genes et les cellules, le systeme immunitaire et les capacites du cerveau a apprendre et a memoriser. Il termine en formulant quelques questions pour la recherche future sur la biosemiotique en tant que tâche interdisciplinaire des biologistes et des chercheurs

In his organismic approach BERTALANFFY postulates two biological principles: 1. the maintenance of the organism in a steady state, 2. the hierarchic order of the structured system (grade of organization). Bertalanffy defines an organism [bio-theoretical term for substance] as an open system organized in a hierarchic process order in steady state (autonomous metabolism). Because of the system lawfulness Life is characterized by gestalt (shape), i. e. it is bound on structure or on organization functionally characterized by equifinality.