The Gaia hypothesis is a scientific concept proposing that the Earth's biosphere (living organisms) and its physical components (atmosphere, oceans, land) interact to form a complex, self-regulating system that maintains the conditions for life on the planet.
Proposed by James Lovelock, this hypothesis views the Earth not just as a collection of interacting parts, but as a single, integrated system akin to a living organism. This "organism" actively adjusts its internal processes to maintain stability, such as regulating temperature and atmospheric composition.
Key Concept: Earth as a self-regulating system.
This perspective directly matches Option 1:
The other options describe different concepts:
Therefore, the Gaia hypothesis defines the Earth as an integrated, self-regulating entity.