Self-limiting

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In biology, a self-limiting organism or colony of organisms limits its own growth by its actions. For example, a single organism may have a maximum size determined by genetics, or a colony of organisms may release waste which is ultimately toxic to the colony once it exceeds a certain population. In some cases, the self-limiting nature of a colony may be advantageous, such as in the case of parasites. If their numbers became too high, they would kill the host, and thus themselves.

[edit] Other fields

This term is also used in other fields:

[edit] Mechanical engineering

A governor was an early device used for self-limiting the speed of mechanical equipment to prevent it from operating at unsafe speeds. Modern mechanical equipment is likely to be electronically controlled and limited.