Life

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Life (IPA: /laɪf/)

Life (IPA: /laɪf/) is a characteristic that distinguishes physical entities with biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased (death), or because they never had such functions and are classified as inanimate.

Etymology

The word "life" comes from the Old English word "līf", which in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic "*lībą". This word is related to the Old High German "līb" and the Old Norse "líf", both meaning "life".

Related Terms

  • Biology: The scientific study of life and living organisms.
  • Organism: An individual living entity that can react to stimuli, reproduce, grow, and maintain homeostasis.
  • Cell: The basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all known living organisms.
  • Death: The cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism.
  • Inanimate: Objects or entities that are not alive, i.e., they do not possess life.

See Also

  • Evolution: The change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.
  • Ecology: The branch of biology that studies the interactions among organisms and their biophysical environment.
  • Life expectancy: A statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live.

References


External links

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