What is life?

Question 1

What are we made of?

Answer 1

Us: O>C>H>N (oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen)
Universe: H>He>O>C (hydrogen, helium, oxygen, carbon)

Question 2

Qualifications of life

Answer 2

1) Homeostasis: regulation of the internal environment to maintain a constant state.
2) Organization: being structurally composed of one or more cells (the basic units of life).
3) Metabolism: transformation of energy by converting chemicals and energy into cellular components (anabolism) and decomposing organic matter (catabolism).
4) Growth
* movement is not a qualification!*

Question 3

Are viruses living?

Answer 3

No!
They cannot harness energy from the environment.
They cannot reproduce on their own.

Question 4

Energy to support life

Answer 4

The sun!
Chemical compounds generally stored as ATP.
Catabolism: breakdown of larger molecules.
Anabolism: synthesis of larger molecules.