Final answer:
Living cells are defined by their ability to exhibit several key characteristics such as response to stimuli, reproduction, adaptation, growth, homeostasis, complex chemistry, and participation in the process of evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
What Distinguishes Living Cells from Non-Living Entities
Cells are the fundamental building blocks of all organisms, and they distinguish living entities from the non-living. Understanding the characteristics of life, including order, sensitivity or response to stimuli, reproduction, adaptation, growth and development, regulation/homeostasis, energy processing, and evolution, helps us to define what makes an entity living. Cells, whether from bacteria or humans, exhibit these properties, which non-living things do not possess.
Every living organism, from the smallest bacterium to the largest whale, is made up of one or more cells. These cells help organisms detect changes in their environment, grow and develop, reproduce, and maintain homeostasis. Additionally, living cells have a complex chemistry that allows them to perform these functions efficiently. The similarities in cell structure and function across different life forms underscore the common origins of life on Earth.