How about “control system”? (Still atomic, but more specific.)
But it is not a control system in the sense that say a thermostat is a control system. I can't put my brain into a whale and expect to be able to swim as it does immediately, I might be able to learn over time. I can however switch out pretty much similar thermostats and there not been any difference in operation.
So in what sense are mine and the whales brains approaches to locomotion the same? I do grant there is a similarity, but saying that they have the same algorithm or control system seems to ignore lots of detail.
Linky. Quotes: