Self-limiting

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Self-limiting may refer to:

• 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.

• In medicine, a medical condition is said to be self-limiting if it has a definite course, will resolve within a specific time, and requires no treatment or for which there is no treatment.

• In mechanical engineering, a governor was a self-limiting device used to control the speed of mechanical equipment to prevent it from operating at unsafe speeds. Modern mechanical equipment is likely to be electronically controlled and limited.