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These vocabulary flashcards cover the seven classic properties of life, related biological structures, and key terms from the lecture debate on what constitutes a living organism.
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Organization
A property of life in which living things possess highly coordinated, specialized parts and are composed of one or more cells.
Cell
The fundamental, membrane-bound unit of life that makes up all living organisms.
Tissue
A group of similar cells that work together to perform a specific function in multicellular organisms.
Organ
A body structure made of multiple tissues that carries out a distinct function, such as the heart or lungs.
Organ System
A collection of organs that cooperate to perform major bodily functions (e.g., the circulatory system).
Unicellular Organism
A complete living organism made up of a single cell, often remarkably complex.
Multicellular Organism
An organism composed of many specialized cells organized into tissues, organs, and systems.
Metabolism
The sum total of all biochemical reactions occurring within an organism that enable it to obtain energy, grow, and maintain itself.
Anabolism
The metabolic pathway that builds complex molecules from simpler ones, typically consuming energy.
Catabolism
The metabolic pathway that breaks complex molecules into simpler ones, often releasing stored energy.
Anabolic Pathway
A series of biochemical reactions that assemble larger molecules (e.g., proteins, DNA) and support growth.
Catabolic Pathway
A series of biochemical reactions that degrade molecules, making energy available for cellular work.
Homeostasis
The regulation of an organism’s internal environment to maintain stable, life-supporting conditions (e.g., human body temperature ~37 °C).
Growth
A life process in which cells increase in size and number, dependent on anabolic pathways that build biomolecules.
Reproduction
The biological process by which living organisms generate new individuals, either asexually or sexually.
Asexual Reproduction
Reproduction involving one parent that produces genetically identical offspring (e.g., bacterial fission).
Sexual Reproduction
Reproduction requiring two parents who produce sperm and egg cells that fuse to form genetically unique offspring.
Fertilization
The fusion of a sperm cell and an egg cell, restoring a full genetic set in a new individual.
Response (Irritability)
A property of life describing an organism’s ability to detect and react to stimuli in its environment.
Evolution
The change in the genetic makeup of a population over time, often leading to new adaptations.
Natural Selection
A mechanism of evolution in which heritable traits that improve survival or reproduction become more common in a population.
Adaptation
A heritable trait that increases an organism’s fitness and becomes prevalent through natural selection.
Prion
A self-replicating protein that has some, but not all, properties of life (e.g., the agent causing mad cow disease).
Virus
A protein–nucleic-acid entity that replicates only inside host cells; lacks cells and independent metabolism, so generally not classified as living.
NASA’s Definition of Life
“A self-sustaining system capable of Darwinian evolution,” a broader criterion used to guide the search for extraterrestrial life.