| Life |
- "living organisms can be distinguished from other complex
physico-chemical systems by their storage and transmission of molecular information in the
form of nucleic acids, their possession of enzyme catalysts, their energy relations with the environment
and their internal energy conversion processes (e.g. photosynthesis, respiration
and other enzyme-catalysed metabolic activities), their ability to grow and reproduce,
and their ability to respond to stimuli (irritability). Entities such as viruses, which
satisfy only some of these criteria, are also generally considered as part of the living
world." (B73) |
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