What is Living ?

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What is Living ?

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Characteristics of Living Things:

• Exclusive Characteristic: The ability to perceive events in the environment and retain their memory is a unique characteristic of living things. 
• Distinguishing Feature: The ability to interact with the environment and undergo progressive evolution is a key feature that separates living organisms from non-living things. 
• Biological Organization: The organization of life begins at the submicroscopic molecular level. 
• Metabolism: Living organisms carry out complex metabolic reactions, including anabolism (building up) and catabolism (breaking down) processes. 
• Growth: Living things exhibit growth from within, increasing in mass and size through internal processes. 
• Reproduction: The ability to produce offspring and perpetuate their species is a characteristic of living organisms. 
• Movement: Living things can move in response to stimuli or to explore their environment. 
• Responsiveness: The ability to sense and respond to changes in the environment is a fundamental characteristic of life. 

Binomial Nomenclature:

• Components: Binomial nomenclature consists of two components:

Scientific names are written In Italics when printed and underlined when handwritten.
eg. Mangifera indica (Printed) | Mangifera indica (Hand Written)

• Generic name: The name of the genus to which the organism belongs. First Letter Bold
• Specific epithet: The species name that distinguishes the organism within its genus.
• Proposed by: Carolus Linnaeus proposed the binomial nomenclature system. 
  

PYQs (Previous Year Questions):

1. Exclusive characteristic of living things:
   • Options:
     • (a) Isolated metabolic reactions occur in vitro
     • (b) Increase in mass from inside only
     • (c) Perception of events happening in the environment and their memory
     • (d) Increase in mass by accumulation of material¹ both on surface as well as internally²
   • Answer: (c) Perception of events happening in the environment and their memory 
   • Year: 2011 
2. Distinguishing feature of living organisms:
   • Options:
     • (a) interaction with the environment and progressive evolution
     • (b) reproduction
     • (c) growth and movement
     • (d) responsiveness to touch³
   • Answer: (a) interaction with the environment and progressive evolution 
   • Year: 2007 
3. Start of biological organization:
   • Options:
     • (a) cellular level
     • (b) organismic level
     • (c) atomic level
     • (d) submicroscopic molecular level
   • Answer: (d) submicroscopic molecular level 
   • Year: 2007 

Additional Notes:

• In vitro: Refers to processes or reactions occurring outside a living organism, typically in a laboratory setting. 
• Genus: A taxonomic rank that groups closely related species.
• Species: A group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.