Final answer:
The characteristics that define life and living things include the ability to synthesize new cell components or release energy, the ability to respond to the environment, and the ability to control the flow of materials across cell boundaries. The correct option is (a), (b) and (c).
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine characteristics that define life and living things, we must consider several universally accepted traits, as mentioned in the provided reference materials. These essential attributes include the ability to synthesize new cell components or release energy through chemical reactions, the ability to respond to their environment, and the ability to control the flow of some materials across cell boundaries. These correspond to the characteristics of complex chemistry, response to the environment, and regulation or homeostasis respectively.
However, the presence of a cell wall and the presence of a nucleus are not characteristics that universally define all living things. While many living organisms have cell walls and nuclei, others do not. For instance, animal cells lack a cell wall, and prokaryotic organisms do not have a nucleus.
The correct options that apply to the student's question are:
- The ability to synthesize new cell components or release energy through chemical reactions.
- Ability to respond to their environment.
- Ability to control the flow of some materials across cell boundaries.
The key point to understand is that living organisms demonstrate a set of shared properties of life, namely order, sensitivity or response to the environment, reproduction, growth and development, regulation/homeostasis, and energy processing.