Questions and Answers
What are some descriptive characteristics of life?
Descriptive characteristics of life include the capacity for homeostasis, organization, metabolism, growth, adaptation, response to stimuli, and reproduction.
What makes defining living systems difficult?
Defining living systems is difficult due to the replication of viruses only in host cells, making it challenging to distinguish them from non-living matter.
Where does life exist on Earth?
Life exists all over the Earth in air, water, and soil, with many ecosystems forming the biosphere.
When did life originate?
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Who initiated the modern classification of living things?
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Study Notes
Descriptive Characteristics of Life
- Living systems exhibit organization, metabolism, homeostasis, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, and evolution
- These characteristics distinguish living things from non-living matter
Challenges in Defining Life
- Defining life is difficult due to the complexity and diversity of living systems
- The transition from non-life to life is not clearly understood
Extent of Life on Earth
- Life exists almost everywhere on Earth, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains
- Living organisms can be found in extreme environments, such as hot springs, salt lakes, and Antarctic ice sheets
Origin of Life
- The exact timing of life's origin is unknown, but it is believed to have emerged at least 3.5 billion years ago
- The earliest evidence of life dates back to around 3.4 billion years ago
Development of Classification Systems
- Carolus Linnaeus, an 18th-century Swedish botanist, initiated the modern classification of living things
- Linnaeus developed the binomial nomenclature system, which is still used to classify organisms today
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