Stratodynamics: A New Theory of Layered Biological Response

Physiology has long explained organismal stability through homeostasis, allostasis, feedback regulation, and related systems concepts. These frameworks remain essential, but each is most precise at a particular scale or mode of response. This manuscript proposes stratodynamics as a new theory of layered biological response in vertebrate physiology. The framework holds that biological response is organized through seven functional layers: molecular, subcellular, cellular, tissue, organ, systemic, and organismal. The layer names denote the compositional scale of the focal response unit rather than fixed anatomical compartments; layer assignment is functional and response-specific. Each layer reduces its own form of mismatch between actual and required state through a scale-appropriate architecture: molecular-state transition, intracellular integration, cellular-state transition, tissue program, organ output, systemic feedback, or organismal anticipation. The layers are coupled upward, downward, and laterally, allowing local events to become systemic responses and allowing organismal state to shape lower-layer readiness. Stratodynamics locates rather than replaces previous theories: homeostasis is preserved as the canonical systemic architecture, allostasis as organismal predictive regulation, and tissue repair, resolution biology, bioelectricity, and thermodynamic self-organization as complementary layer-specific contributors. The framework is presented as a theoretical synthesis and research program for veterinary and medical sciences.