Final answer:
Chimpanzees and pine trees both exhibit key characteristics of living organisms such as cellular organization and metabolism, highlighting the fundamental similarities between all forms of life, despite obvious differences.
Step-by-step explanation:
A chimpanzee and a pine tree, although very different in appearance and life processes, both share the universal characteristics of living organisms because they are both living things. These shared characteristics include cellular organization, reproduction, metabolism, homeostasis, heredity, response to stimuli, and growth and development. For instance, the cells of both organisms contain DNA, which carries genetic information, and both organisms undergo metabolism to maintain life. While we often focus on the differences between species, especially between animals and plants, these essential functions remind us that all life on our planet is related at a fundamental level. This is further illustrated by the fact that humans share a significant percentage of our DNA with other primates, such as chimpanzees, which provides evidence of a recent common ancestor and implies evolutionary relationships among living organisms.