System

:For the Macintosh operating system, which was called System up to version 7.5.5, see Mac OS.

Background

At arbitrary boundaries, a collection of interrelated components may be declared a system and may further be abstracted to be declared a component of a larger system. Systems enable "activities" to be performed. (It is tempting to say that systems enable "things" to be done—but that is confusing in this context). An engineering example of a system is often a circuit or a physical series.

Related Topics:
Engineering - Circuit

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Depending on the type of system, a system can often be distinguished from individual machines, elements or processes of that system by the number, arrangements and complexity of those elements. For example, a pulley is a machine, but an elevator, which incorporates pulleys (amongst other components), is a system. Going to the doctor is a process, but health care is a system.

Related Topics:
Machine - Process - Pulley - Elevator - Doctor - Health care

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In the natural world, we say that there are systems. For example, the solar system of nine planets orbiting the sun. In the human body, we refer to such systems as the nervous system, the circulatory system, the digestive system, the reproductive system, and the respiratory system.

Related Topics:
Solar system - Nervous system - Circulatory system - Digestive system - Reproductive system - Respiratory system

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In addition, all so-called "things" (Objects) are actually systems. For example, a cup is an object, but it is also a system for holding hot or cold liquid, or other material. The cup has a certain shape and a handle, it is made of non-porous material and so on, and it is put together in such a way as to provide a useful function. Describing this thing makes up information, and defines a system.

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