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Characteristics of Life in Biology: Reproduction Environment Energy Explained
Living organisms feature reproduction, environmental response, and energy processing—not growth without energy or immortality—core properties for distinguishing life in General Biology certification exam preparation.
Question
Select the properties that characterize living organisms.
A. Growth without energy
B. Reproduction
C. Response to environment
D. Energy processing
E. Unlimited lifespan
Answer
B. Reproduction
Explanation
Living organisms universally exhibit reproduction to propagate genetic material through asexual (binary fission, budding) or sexual (gamete fusion) means ensuring species continuity, responsiveness to environmental stimuli via sensory mechanisms and homeostasis (e.g., phototropism in plants, thermoregulation in animals) for survival and adaptation, and energy processing through metabolic pathways like cellular respiration and photosynthesis to acquire, transform, and utilize ATP for growth, maintenance, and repair. These properties distinguish life from non-living matter, as growth requires energy input (excluding A), and no organism possesses unlimited lifespan due to inevitable cellular wear, telomere shortening, or programmed death (excluding E), collectively defining life’s dynamic, organized, and self-sustaining nature across viruses, prokaryotes, and eukaryotes.