Something To Be Considered Alive: What Are The Nine Properties Of Life?

"An animal or plant is an organic whole, a complicated system of interrelated capacities" ("Aristotle on Teleological Explanation", pg. 76), which serve as self-maintaining, according to Aristotle. He also believes that this "capacity--to maintain functional states through self-nutrition and to propagate them through reproduction--is the mark that sets off the living from the lifeless ("Aristotle on Teleological Explanation", pg. 76) and also means that the facility to ingest and use food is essential for life. He claims that "self-nutrition, with reproduction, is 'the first and most common capacity of soul, the one in virtue of which life belongs to all that has life'" ("Aristotle on Teleological Explanation", pg. 76). Describing more upon his elucidation of this subject matter, Aristotle looks deeply at what, in essence, makes life, saying that the "parts of a plant, like the parts of an animal, are for-the-sake-of life" ("Aristotle on Teleological Explanation", pg. 76). Specific parts work together to create and sustain life for a thing, for Aristotle's peace of

Ever since we were younger we always thought that many things were alive but what made us think that it was alive? For example, why are hedgehogs alive? One of the ways how hedgehogs are alive is that they have a cellular structure and function, they reproduce, they use metabolism, they use homeostasis, they have a long line of heredity, they have evolved, and they use interdependence.

Though the robot described fits some of the technical criteria necessary for life, it is not alive. Rather, it is life-like. As discussed in lecture, the six conditions considered in determining whether or not something is alive are order, the ability to reproduce, growth and development overtime, energy utilization, environmental response, and evolutionary development. The robot certainly has an ordered structure, as it contains bits and pieces manufactured to make it work. However, the structure of the robot is produced in a lab, dissimilar to organisms traditionally considered life, such as plants or animals that naturally contain a cellular structure. Additionally, like a plant or animal, this robot has the ability to reproduce, utilize energy, and possibly to respond to the environment. However, again, what disqualifies the robot form being considered alive is the fact that these are not inherent processes of the robot, the robot had to be programmed by a human. Though the robot has the capability to reproduce itself, this fact is contingent a human granting the robot this ability. Plants and animals are born with these abilities and need not artificial intervention to carry out these duties. In these ways, the robot described should not be considered living, but

A glance in the Merriam Webster English dictionary offers twenty definitions for the word “life.” These range in scope from theological context “spiritual existence transcending physical death” (Life 4) to the obvious “the period from birth to death” (Life 5a), but all assume the reader already understands what form life takes and its qualities. In response to these assumptions, there must be an objective definition of life that establishes what features and qualities all things considered alive possess. This definition should concisely determine what differences exist between a tree and a wooden door that results in the first being alive and the latter inanimate. Ultimately, this distinction is contingent on three categories of qualities: energy, reproduction, and molecular makeup.

There are many different features and factors between living and nonliving organisms. Living organisms are self explanatory, they are alive and active. They are made up of cells and also have the characteristics of life such as growth, reproduction, movement, response to stimuli; they evolve, and require energy for daily activities. Most of the living organisms on earth is humans, animals, plants, and microorganisms.

First of all, let us establish what characterizes something as living, and as an organism. The characteristics of a living thing are as follows: Consume energy, consume water, complete gas exchanges, eliminate waste, grow, reproduce, and respond to the environment. For an entity to be classified as living, it must be all of those characteristics. An organism is a living thing that can function completely independently.

Alive. What does it take, what qualities must something posses to be considered alive? Must it have a heart? Must it breathe? Must it have skin? Flesh? Most would say that cars aren't alive. Most would say that they're nothing but a commodity to be bought and sold, an object to be used up and cast aside. Most, but not I. Although, perhaps that is what they have become, cheap pieces of plastic and fibreglass made by robots. It's almost as if they're not real, the ¨cars¨ I mean. The connection between human and vehicle has been completely destroyed, eroded by objects of increased efficiency and decreased humanity. There was a time when every other garage on the block was home to a greasemonkey or a gearhead that could fix anything that didn't total the car. A time when no matter what neighborhood you entered, chances are there'd be

Integrated by discussion the properties of life; basic chemical terminology, molecules and compounds of a cell necessary for life.

Often times we think that all life requires oxygen. However, there are many bacteria (called anaerobic bacteria) which do not need oxygen at all! They live down in the soil, under oceans and lakes, and in other areas. To many of them, oxygen is a poison! Yet they are definitely alive. So clearly whether or not something needs oxygen does not show if it is alive. Consciousness as we think of it is probably not a good determinant for life either. It is highly unlikely that bacteria, fungi, plants, and other organisms think, since they lack a brain or nerves. Yet they are definitely alive. Therefore, whether or not something thinks does not show that if is alive. This is the same for movement, because not all living things move-- in fact, many

What do you think a living thing would require to be alive? The word "living" has so many connotations that I'm almost hesitant to try to define it scientifically because it sounds that I'm trying to make it negative for all the other accomplishment of that word.

Reproduction is important for the survival of all living things. Without a mechanism for reproduction, life would come to an end. There are two types of reproduction to learn in elementary grades, asexual and sexual reproduction. Many teachers are afraid of discussing reproduction, but if presented as a factual lesson it is easy for the students to understand the principles without the standard giggles.

Life, especially that of the human variety, has many interconnected meanings, one of the most commonly cited being its biological definition as “the condition that distinguishes animals, plants, and other organisms from inorganic or inanimate matter, characterized by continuous metabolic activity and the capacity for functions such as growth, development, reproduction, adaptation to the environment, and response to stimulation” (oed.com). Although philosophical and personal interpretations of the meaning of life may modify and expand on this definition, one indisputable fact is that life has continued on this earth chiefly through sexual reproduction. The two are intrinsically linked.

Cells, they are the building block of all life, they are what make up the entirety of living things on Earth and without them living things would cease to exist. It is because of this that cells are considered to be the most important known unit of life and are studied so often. Cells were first observed in the mid 17th century by English physicist and microscopist Robert Hooke using on of the earliest versions of the microscope. (Biologyreference.com, 2017) Hooke’s observations led to further investigations and studies into the topic of cells resulting in many major breakthroughs in the field of biology. Possibly the biggest of these breakthroughs is credited to have being made by Theodor schwann, Matthias Schleiden and Rudolph Virchow,

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye”

A living thing is defined as using all of these qualities: movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion, and nutrition. Only living things, and all living things, have these functions.