WHAT IS LIVING?

This slideshare gives the detailed description of the characteristics a living organism exhibits and detalied description of all these living characteristics.

1. What is living?

2. LIVING: An organism is said to be living if it exhibits the following characteristics : Growth Reproduction Metabolism Ability to sense their surroundings Interaction

3. GROWTH: All living organisms grow. Twin characteristics: increase in mass and increase in number. Plants and animals grow by cell division. Some non living things also grow. Example: mountains , boulders and sand mounds In living things growth is from inside and in non living things , growth is from outside Not a defining feature of living

4. Reproduction: Production of progeny possessing features more or less similar to those of their parents. Sexually or asexually There are even some living organisms which do not reproduce. example: mules ,sterile worker bees , infertile human couples. Not a defining feature of living

5. Metabolism: Sum total of all the chemical reactions occurring in the body of living organisms. No non living things exhibit metabolism. Metabolism is the definite feature of living organisms.

6. Ability to sense the surroundings: Most obvious and technically complicated feature of all living organisms. Response may be physical , chemical and biological. Irritability :response to environmental stimuli. Consciousness : awareness of the surroundings. Objection : patients in coma.

7. Interactions : Living organisms are self replicating , evolving , and self regulating interactive systems capable of responding to external stimuli.