Development is not a continuous phenomenon. Rather, phenophases are interspaced with short critical periods. This phenomenon reflects an alternance between stabilization (during a phenophase) and dismantling (during a critical period) of a network of between-organ relationships generating the organism. Networks of relationships may be compared to dissipative systems in physics. In this context, a critical period represents a transient phase of isolation of the systems enabling its evolution towards equilibrium. As suggested here, this transition from dissipative to isolated system represents the source of newly emerging dissipative structures in which environmental or developmental perturbations are adaptively integrated. In contrast to non-living systems, an endogenous control of the transition towards critical period seems to exist during development. By extension to other scales of biological organization, it is suggested that the capacity to self-define its status (dissipative or close-to-equilibrium) represents the key property of living systems. This asks for a reconsideration of some basic notions about life, such as the role of genes in normal development, in physiological adaptation, and even in the emergence of evolutionary novelty.