The Nature of Life

What distinguishes matter with biological processes from matter that does not?

What makes defining viruses as living organisms difficult?

According to ancient theories, what did Empedocles's materialism propose life was composed of?

What did Aristotle's hylomorphism assert about living things?

When did life originate, resulting in a universal common ancestor?

Distinction of Biological Matter

Biological matter engages in processes such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli.
Non-biological matter lacks these characteristics and does not display organization typical of living systems.

Defining Viruses

Viruses display characteristics of life, such as reproduction but only within host cells, complicating their classification as living organisms.
They lack cellular structure and cannot carry out metabolic processes independently.

Empedocles's Materialism

Proposed that life is composed of the four classical elements: earth, water, air, and fire.
Suggested that various combinations of these elements produced all forms of life.

Aristotle's Hylomorphism

Asserted that living beings are composed of both matter (hyle) and form (morphe).
Distinguished between the physical body and the soul, with the soul serving as the essence of life.

Origin of Life

Life is believed to have originated around 3.5 to 4 billion years ago.
This event resulted in a universal common ancestor from which all current life forms evolved.

Test your knowledge of the fundamental characteristics and philosophical concepts of life with this quiz. Explore topics such as homeostasis, organization, metabolism, growth, adaptation, and reproduction, and gain insights into the nature of living systems and self-organizing processes.