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Properties of Life

Written by Earl Jeroh Bacabacin College Entrance Exam,LET,NMAT,Reviewers,UPCAT Last Updated

09/22/2022

Life is an extremely complex concept, and yet, a small child realizes that an ant or a plant is alive while a
rock and a car are not.

Throughout the history of man, many explanations ranging from the philosophical to the supernatural
have been proposed to describe the meaning and purpose of life. What features are then considered to
qualify if an object is alive?

In the context of biology, there are some features that have been commonly agreed upon in the field in
order to describe life. This article will discuss them one by one.
Click below to go to the main reviewers:

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Table of Contents

1. Order or Organization

2. Reproduction

3. Growth and Development

4. Response to Stimulus from the Environment or Irritability

5. Energy Processing or Metabolism

6. Regulation or Homeostasis

7. Evolutionary Adaptation

References

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1. Order or Organization

A close look at a sunflower

Life is characterized by highly ordered structures.

All organisms are composed of cells – the structural and functional unit of life. Even very simple, single-
celled organisms are remarkably complex: inside each cell, atoms make up molecules, which in turn
make up cell organelles and other components.

In multicellular organisms, similar cells make up tissues, and in turn, tissues collaborate to create organs
(body structures with distinct functions). Together, these organs work, forming organ systems.

2. Reproduction

Baby swan resting on its mother’s back

Organisms reproduce their kind. Cellular mechanisms are in place in order for any two different
organisms to not be able to reproduce at random.

Single-celled organisms reproduce first by replicating their DNA. These then divide equally as cells
prepare to divide to form two new cells.

Multicellular organisms produce through specialized reproductive germ cells that form new individuals.
When reproducing, genes containing DNA are passed along to the offspring. These genes ensure that
the offspring belongs to the same species and will have similar characteristics.

3. Growth and Development

Young fern leaves sprouting

Inherited information in the form of DNA controls how organisms grow and develop as they mature. All
organisms follow specific instructions coded by their genes. The genes provide instructions that direct
cellular growth and development, ensuring that the young will grow up to exhibit the same
characteristics as their parents.

4. Response to Stimulus from the Environment or Irritability

Child with a face mask holding a stuffed toy

All living beings respond to their environment. For example, plants grow toward a light source, climb
fences and walls, and even respond to touch. Tiny bacteria can move toward or away from chemicals
(chemotaxis) or light (phototaxis). The movement toward a stimulus is considered a positive response
while moving away from it is a negative response.

5. Energy Processing or Metabolism

Child playing badminton

Organisms take in energy to drive all their activities. It is the sum of the chemical activity of all body
functions. Some organisms capture energy directly from the sun and convert it into chemical energy;
others use chemical energy in molecules they take in as food.

6. Regulation or Homeostasis

Lizard resting on a rock

Organisms have different mechanisms in order to maintain a beneficial internal environment.

Even the smallest organisms are complex and require multiple regulatory mechanisms to coordinate
internal functions, respond to stimuli, and cope with environmental stresses. Two internal functions
regulated in an organism are nutrient transport and blood flow.

Organs (groups of tissues working together) perform specific functions, such as carrying oxygen
throughout the body, removing wastes, delivering nutrients to every cell, and cooling the body. In order
to function properly, cells need to have appropriate conditions such as proper temperature, pH, and
appropriate concentration of diverse chemicals. These conditions may, however, change from one
moment to the next.

Organisms are able to maintain internal conditions within a narrow range almost constantly, despite
environmental changes, through homeostasis (literally, “steady-state”), the ability of an organism to
maintain constant internal conditions.

7. Evolutionary Adaptation
Charles darwin contemplating

Adaptations of organisms to their environment evolve as traits that help individuals survive are passed
over time.

As a population of organisms interacts with the environment, individuals with traits that contribute to
reproduction and survival in that particular environment will leave more offspring. Over time those
advantageous traits (called adaptations) will become more common in the population. This process,
which changes over time, is called evolution, and it is one of the processes that explain the diverse
species seen in biology.

Adaptations help organisms survive in their ecological niches, and adaptive traits may be structural,
behavioral, or physiological; as such, adaptations frequently involve other properties of organisms such
as homeostasis, reproduction, and growth and development.

References

Campbell, N. A., Cain, M. L., Minorsky, P. V., Reece, J. B., Urry, L. A., & Wasserman, S. A. (2018). Biology:
A global approach. Harlow, Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.

Kimball, J. W. (1994). Biology. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Publishers.

Taylor, M. R., Simon, E. J., Dickey, J., Hogan, K. A., & Reece, J. B. (2018). Campbell biology: Concepts &
connections. New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V., & Reece, J. B. (2017). Campbell biology. New
York: Pearson.

Next topic: Biomolecules

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Download Article in PDF Format

Test Yourself!

1. Practice Questions [PDF Download]

2. Answer Key [PDF Download]

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Earl Jeroh Bacabac

Earl’s love for the sea fueled his goal to become a marine biologist. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in
Biology from the University of the Philippines Visayas while also being a DOST scholar. His passion for
the marine environment is rivaled by his diverse interests in music, the arts, and video games.

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One thought on “Properties of Life”

Angela

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05/21/2022 at 10:18 pm

I like it

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Read more Biology reviewers:

Link to Biomolecules

Biomolecules

Refresh your memory of the biomolecules—carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids—that are
considered building blocks of life.

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Link to The Ultimate Biology Reviewer

The Ultimate Biology Reviewer

Let’s delve back into different concepts in the science of Biology—from the properties shared by the
living to the processes that maintain life.

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