What criteria do we use to decide whether something is alive?

Living beingsLiving beings are organisms that exhibit the key characteristics of life. These include the ability to grow, reproduce, maintain homeostasis, respond to stimuli, adapt through evolution, and undergo metabolism. They range from simple single-celled bacteria to complex multicellular organisms like humans, encompassing a vast diversity of life forms. are composed of cells, which are the basic units of life. These cells can be unicellular (consisting of a single cell) or multicellular (comprising many cells).

All living organisms exhibit metabolism, which includes all the chemical reactions that occur within the body. This involves processes like breaking down nutrients for energy (catabolism) and using energy to build up cellular components (anabolism). The Non-livingsNon-living things are entities that do not possess the characteristics of life. They do not grow, reproduce, respond to stimuli, or undergo metabolism. Examples include rocks, water, and man-made objects like buildings and machines. They can be natural or artificial and do not evolve through biological processes. does not do these activities.

Living organisms grow and develop. In multicellular organisms, growth typically involves an increase in cell number and size. Development involves changes in the organism through its life cycle, such as a caterpillar developing into a butterfly.

Reproduction: The ability to reproduce, either sexually or asexually, is a fundamental characteristic of living organisms. Reproduction is the process by which organisms give rise to new individuals of the same species.

Response to Stimuli: Living organisms can respond to environmental stimuli. This can range from simple responses like bacteria moving towards nutrients, to complex responses like animals perceiving and reacting to their surroundings.

Homeostasis: The ability to maintain a stable internal environment (homeostasis) is a key feature of living organisms. This includes regulating factors like temperature, pH, and water content, irrespective of external environmental conditions.

Adaptation: Living organisms exhibit adaptations to their environment. These are traits or behaviors that increase their chances of survival and reproduction. Adaptations result from evolutionary processes over generations.

Energy Utilization: All living organisms require and utilize energy. In most cases, this energy is derived from food. Autotrophs, like plants, capture energy from sunlight through photosynthesis, while heterotrophs obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

These criteria collectively help in determining whether an entity is alive. However, it’s important to note that some cases may not be straightforward. For example, viruses exhibit some characteristics of life, such as reproduction and genetic material, but they lack others, like metabolism and cellular structure, leading to debate about their classification as living or non-living.

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List of Questions of Class 10 Science Chapter 5