Gaia

The earth and its ecosystem seen as a single, living creative system (named after the Greek goddess of the earth). The hypothesis is that the earth is a living organism, or superorganism, that adjusts and regulates itself. Whereas proponents maintain that some parts of the earth (tropical rain forests, oceans, ozone layer) are equivalent to vital organs, opponents argue that the Gaia analogy does not conform to the usual definitions of life, including the ability to reproduce itself.