The next metapattern discussed by Tyler Volk and Jeff Bloom are holons, a term intruced by Arthur Koestler in The Ghost in the Machine of 1967, and later in Janus: A Summing Up of 1978. In the original definition of Koestler:

1. The holon

1.1 The organism in its structural aspect is not an aggregation of elementary parts, and in its functional aspects not a chain of elementary units of behaviour.

1.2 The organism is to be regarded as a multi-levelled hierarchy of semi-autonomous sub-wholes, branching into sub-wholes of a lower order, and so on. Sub-wholes on any level of the hierarchy are referred to as holons.

1.3 Parts and wholes in an absolute sense do not exist in the domains of life. The concept of the holon is intended to reconcile the atomistic and holistic approaches.

1.4 Biological holons are self-regulating open systems which display both the autonomous properties of wholes and the dependent properties of parts. This dichotomy is present on every level of every type of hierarchic organization, and is referred to as the "Janus phenomenon".

1.5 More generally, the term "holon" may be applied to any stable biological or social sub-whole which displays rule-governed behaviour and/or structural Gestalt-constancy. Thus organelles and homologous organs are evolutionary holons; morphogenetic fields are ontogenetic holons; the ethologist's "fixed action-patterns" and the sub-routines of acquired skills are behavioural holons; phonemes, morphemes, words, phrases are linguistic holons; individuals, families, tribes, nations are social holons.

Holons are therefore - like clonons - intrinsic parts, composed of other subsystems - generally other holons -, of a holarchy of a complex system, at the same time parts (components) and wholes (levels) of the system. They differ from clonons since functionally and structurally distinguishable among them. The typical example are atoms, distinct holons made by three fundamental types (protons, neutrons ed electrons) of clonons particles. Another example from the point of view of organised structures are holons levels which progressively lead from the individual level to the global one:

Background

Holon, as mentioned previously, refers to a whole, which is often comprised of clonon parts or sets of clonon parts. Holons themselves can become clonons of even greater wholes. The idea of holons (in contrast to indistinguishable clonons) is that holons are functionally and structurally distinct parts on the level of a holarchy. Holons are like organs, on different scales of wholes. Thus the body’s holons are heart, lungs, brain, and so forth, which themselves are composed of many clonons, the relatively indistinguishable heart cells, liver cells, and so forth.

Examples

In science: a planet, a solar system (made of holons-planets that become clonons of the solar system), an atom is a holon of three fundamental types of clonon particles, atoms become clonons of larger holon molecules, etc.
In architecture and design: buildings, a community, etc.
In art: subjects, figures formed from points or strokes, a sculpture, etc
In social sciences: a concept, a community or society, an action holon of component clonon actions, a family, a class of students, etc.
In other senses: a wall or fence, an archway made of stone clonons, a gang or clique, etc.