The physiological capability of a complex system, such as the endocrine network, to actively work against the natural thermodynamic tendency toward disorder (entropy) by maintaining highly organized, low-entropy operational states. This capacity is metabolically costly and reflects the system’s overall vigor and regulatory reserve under duress. High resistance capacity is synonymous with robust homeostatic control and the ability to buffer against internal or external stressors effectively.
Origin
This term bridges concepts from thermodynamics (entropy) and systems physiology, framing biological regulation as an active, energy-dependent process required to maintain order against the universe’s second law. In health science, it serves as a functional measure of the system’s inherent ability to self-organize and resist functional degradation.
Mechanism
Resistance capacity is mechanistically supported by highly efficient bioenergetics, ensuring sufficient $text{ATP}$ availability, and by the integrity of rapid regulatory feedback loops. For example, robust $text{HPA}$ axis function allows for rapid cortisol modulation to counteract stressors, thereby resisting the entropic shift toward chronic inflammation or unchecked catabolism. When bioenergetic resources are depleted or regulatory pathways become sluggish, the capacity to maintain this critical order diminishes, leading to observable systemic decline.
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