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A presentation on information flow in living systems. Living systems are life forms (or, more colloquially known as living things) treated as a system. They are said to be open self-organizing and said to interact with their environment. These systems are maintained by flows of information, energy and matter. Multiple theories of living systems ...
[8] [9] Philosophical definitions of life have also been put forward, with similar difficulties on how to distinguish living things from the non-living. [10] Legal definitions of life have been debated, though these generally focus on the decision to declare a human dead, and the legal ramifications of this decision. [11]
The term "organism" (from the Ancient Greek ὀργανισμός, derived from órganon, meaning ' instrument, implement, tool ', ' organ of sense ', or ' apprehension ') [2] [3] first appeared in the English language in the 1660s with the now-obsolete meaning of an organic structure or organization. [3]
For example, zoology is the study of animals, while botany is the study of plants. Other life sciences focus on aspects common to all or many life forms, such as anatomy and genetics . Some focus on the micro-scale (e.g. molecular biology , biochemistry ) other on larger scales (e.g. cytology , immunology , ethology , pharmacy, ecology).
A life form (also spelled life-form or lifeform) is an entity that is living, [1] [2] such as plants , animals , and fungi . It is estimated that more than 99% of all species that ever existed on Earth, amounting to over five billion species, [3] are extinct. [4] [5] Earth is the only celestial body known to harbor life forms. No form of ...
This glossary of biology terms is a list of definitions of fundamental terms and concepts used in biology, the study of life and of living organisms.It is intended as introductory material for novices; for more specific and technical definitions from sub-disciplines and related fields, see Glossary of cell biology, Glossary of genetics, Glossary of evolutionary biology, Glossary of ecology ...
For example, matter from terrestrial autotrophs are both biotic and accessible to other organisms whereas the matter in rocks and minerals are abiotic and inaccessible. A biogeochemical cycle is a pathway by which specific elements of matter are turned over or moved through the biotic ( biosphere ) and the abiotic ( lithosphere , atmosphere ...
Halophiles (organisms that thrive in highly salty environments) and hyperthermophiles (organisms that thrive in extremely hot environments) are examples of Archaea. [1] Archaea are relatively small. They range from 0.1 μm to 15 μm diameter and up to 200 μm long, about the size of bacteria and the mitochondria found in eukaryotic cells.