Final answer:
Humans exhibit all seven characteristics that define living organisms: order, homeostasis, energy processing, growth and development, response to stimuli, reproduction, and evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
As humans, we meet all the criteria for life that biologists use to define living organisms. These criteria include:
- Order: We have complex but organized structures, consisting of cells that form tissues, organs, and organ systems.
- Homeostasis: We maintain internal stability, like regulating body temperature and blood pH, despite changes in the external environment.
- Energy Processing: Through metabolism, we convert food into energy, which is necessary for all biological processes.
- Growth and Development: We follow specific life stages from conception to maturity, guided by our DNA.
- Response to Stimuli: We can react to changes in the environment, such as moving away from danger or toward food.
- Reproduction: As humans, we can produce offspring through sexual reproduction, ensuring the continuation of our species.
- Evolution: Populations of humans, like all living species, are capable of evolving to adapt to environmental pressures.
For example, homeostasis is evidenced by our ability to sweat or shiver to regulate body temperature. Reproduction is demonstrated in the human life cycle, beginning from a one-cell structure to a fully developed baby. To test if an object, like a suspected stick insect, is alive, we could observe if it shows any signs of these characteristics, such as movement (response to stimuli) or growth.