Systematic is defined as that which respects or adapts to a system : an ordered or structured set of principles or elements that relate to each other. The term comes from Late Latin systematĭcus , itself derived from Greek systēmatikós .
It is important not to confuse systematic with systemic . The systemic is what is linked to the entirety of a system : therefore, the notion is used in contrast to the local .
Differences between systematic and systemic
If the intention is to refer to a factor that has an impact on a system as a whole , the concept of systemic must be used. When you intend to refer to what a system follows or is frequently reiterated, however, you should appeal to systematic .
Suppose someone wants to mention the problem of corruption that extends through all branches of the State . In this case, it should be indicated that corruption is a “systemic problem” of the State, and not a “systematic problem.” On the contrary, if a sports journalist intends to highlight that a football team frequently uses centers as an attacking movement, he must express that it is a “systematic resource” (not a “systemic resource” ).
in biology
In its feminine version ( systematics ), the idea appears in the field of biology to name the specialty dedicated to the classification of species according to their phylogeny , that is, their evolutionary history. In other words, its focus is the study of diversity from description and interpretation. Let us not forget that in this area, the species is the basic unit from which we start to classify living beings.
We understand by species a group of beings in which any of its members is capable of producing offspring through reproduction. To designate the species, the Linnaean nomenclature is used, which requires two terms, which are written in italics: the first of them always corresponds to its genus and has an initial capital letter; the second, on the other hand, is written completely in lower case and refers directly to the species. An example of this system is Atelerix albiventris , also known as the white-bellied hedgehog .
Among the most important systematic schools we can highlight evolutionary systematics , whose most relevant figures were J. Huxley, GG Simpson and E. Mayr . She was the first to propose a formal way of reconstructing phylogenies for their representation as classifications. It is based on four fundamental criteria: the adaptive niche, minimal monophyly, species richness and morphological discrepancy. Beyond phylogeny, this school relies on other criteria when developing its classifications, among which are adaptive radiation and morphological gap.
We can also mention cladist systematics , which is related to the work of Willi Hennig , a German entomologist who in the mid-20th century proposed methods for classifying trees. There were several authors who supported his research, especially after it was translated into English. The main concept of this school is monophyly : a group that includes its ancestral species and all of its descendants is considered monophyletic.
The idea at the individual level
Applied to an individual, systematic is associated with proceeding according to principles and maintaining certain patterns of behavior or habits . For example: “Rubén is a systematic man, who always strictly respects schedules,” “I should be more systematic but, no matter how hard I try, I can't.”