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I don't know if this will help anyone, but I was looking through some old threads and discovered that many people could not define when and where they believed life began. I thought this might be useful:
The Five Scientific Properties of Life (according to scientists, an organism must possess the following in order to be defined as "living")
1) Order All organisms consist of one or more cells with highly ordered structures: atoms make up molecules, which construct cellular organelles, which are contained within cells. This hierarchical organization continues at higher levels in multicellular organisms and among organisms.
2) Sensitivity All organisms respond to stimuli. Plants grow toward a source of light, and your pupils dilate when you walk into a dark room.
3) Growth, development, and reproduction All organisms are capable of growing and reproducing, and they all possess hereditary molecules that are passed to their offspring, ensuring that the offspring are of the same species. Although crystals "grow", their growth does not involve hereditary molecules.
4) Regulation All organisms have regulatory mechanisms that coordinate the organism's internal functions. THese functions include supplying cells with nutrients, transporting substances through the organism, and many others.
5) Homeostasis All organisms maintain relatively constant internal conditions, different from their environments, a process called homeostasis.
Courtesy of Raven and Johnson Biology, 5th edition.
I'll probably be seen as a traitor by biologists everywhere--but that's ok. I've pretty much always been one.:)
Hope this helps someone.
Meggie
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