Cells, tissues, and organs undertake a variety of self-maintenance behaviors without the direction of the brain. Although low-level behaviors like these are abundant, high-level examples also exist, like when an arm pulls away from a hot stove as soon as the signal reaches the spinal cord. The organism is a recursive system, with sub-systems behaving with varying degrees of autonomy while also depending on the larger system. The seat of consciousness possesses only a limited view.