* Organization: Living things are highly organized, with cells as the basic unit of life.
* Metabolism: They carry out chemical reactions to obtain and use energy.
* Growth and development: They increase in size and complexity over time.
* Reproduction: They produce offspring to ensure the continuation of their species.
* Response to stimuli: They react to changes in their environment.
* Adaptation: They evolve over time to better suit their environment.
While individual abilities like movement or having a nervous system can be helpful, they are not essential for defining life. For example, plants do not move in the same way animals do, but they still carry out all the life processes mentioned above.
Therefore, the most accurate definition of life is the ability to carry out life processes rather than any specific ability.
