Bio intro 08.12

What defines life?

Life is defined by a multitude of characteristics, including organization, regulation, growth, development, and energy processing.

Biological levels of organization

The hierarchy of life, starting from cells as the fundamental unit, leading up to higher levels of organization.

Cell

The fundamental/foundational unit of life where all life processes occur.

Emergent properties

Properties that arise at one level of organization due to interactions of lower levels.

Entropy

The tendency for disorder or disorganization; living things maintain order by utilizing energy.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of relatively stable internal conditions in a cell or organism.

Asexual reproduction

A form of reproduction that does not involve the fusion of gametes, resulting in offspring identical to the parent.

Adaptation of cells

The process through which living things grow by increasing the number of cells via cell division.

Evolution

The change in populations and species over time, driven by inherited traits.

NASA's definition of life

Life is a self-sustained chemical system capable of undergoing Darwinian evolution.