Answered: All living things share the same basic…

Human Biology (MindTap Course List)

11th Edition

ISBN:9781305112100

Author:Cecie Starr, Beverly McMillan

Publisher:Cecie Starr, Beverly McMillan

Chapter1: Learning About Human Biology

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1RQ: You are a living organism. Which characteristics of life do you exhibit?

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Question

All living things share the same basic characteristics that make them different from nonliving things. Brainstrom what charateristics all living things might have. Record your thoughts below.

Expert Solution

Introduction

Living things like plants, animals and bacteria are differentiated from the non-living things like rocks, oceans and furniture based on several characteristic features. The living organisms possess these features, while not all these features are observed in non-living things.

Explanation

The basic characteristics that differentiate living organisms from non-living organisms are:

Self- consciousness- The living organisms possess a unique feature of self-consciousness that allows them to sense and respond to the changes in the outer environment.
Homeostasis- The ability of a living cell to regulate its internal environment despite the changes in the outer environment is known as homeostasis. An example of homeostasis is the mechanism of thermoregulation (temperature regulation).
Reproduction- The living organisms can divide and reproduce to give rise to new organisms. They pass their genome to the daughter cell to ensure the growth of species.
Energy processing- All living organisms require energy to perform their body functions. The energy can be directly obtained from the sun as in plants or can be obtained from chemical conversion of food like in animals.
Growth and development- Living organisms exhibit growth which increase their size or mass. Growth can either be restricted to age (as in humans) or can continue the whole life (in plants).

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