What sets us, living organisms, apart from non-living organisms are life processes that are genuinely unique characterization of our existence. Living organisms have 6 distinct, basic life processes and these are as follows:
- METABOLISM. This is the sum process of all chemical activities facilitated within our body. It involves complementary actions of breaking down (catabolism) and building up (anabolism) chemical substances for our body’s observation of its necessary metabolic processes. An example of this is food digestion. It involves both catabolism and anabolism via breaking down food and building up nutrients derived from the food that has been broken down.
- RESPONSIVENESS. This process is innate to living organisms since it showcases our body’s ability to detect and respond to various changes. To put it simply, it is our body’s alertness and adaptability towards foreseen and unforeseen circumstances. A good example of such is our response whenever we make contact with something hot. Our body’s responsiveness and alertness make us react swiftly because we can sense that we have made contact with something that is hot and is potentially pain-inducing.
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GROWTH. This other life process pertains to the increase, proportional or not, in body size brought about by the increase in the size and/or number of existing cells in our body. Hair growth is one notable example of such. Even though it is cut short, it eventually grows back over time.
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MOVEMENT. Another process that is unique with living organisms which includes motion of either tiny structures inside of our cells, our single cells, individual organs or collectively by our whole body. The beating of our heart, flickering of eyes and walking are some examples of this process.
- DIFFERENTIATION. The process which talks about the development of a cell from an unspecialized to a specialized state or condition. Stem cells, which are precursor cells which divide and give rise to other cells, facilitate this kind of process. An example would be the production of specific cells of the body like nerve or muscle cells. They are not specifically produced but are derived from stem cells.
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REPRODUCTION. This last process can be defined on a micro or macro scale. On a microscale, reproduction means the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair and/or replacement. On the other hand, reproduction on a macroscale refers to the production of a new organism or individual. An example is the healing of wounds. Whenever we acquire injuries that cause cuts and/or wounds, our cells reproduce to regenerate and heal the inflicted area or body part.