Welcome To

Introduction to life
 Let us
start with an
activity!
Identify living and the non-living
Living and the Non-living

Living

Non-living
How do we decide
what is living or
non-living?
How can we
define
‘Life’?
 What is Life?

It is unique, complex organisation of molecules that

expresses itself through chemical reactions which lead to:
Growth

Development

Responsiveness

Adaptation

Reproduction
Characteristics of living beings

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular Organisation

Consciousness
Growth
 Growth

Growth is the increase in size, mass or height and number (in case of
unicellular organisms) of an individual
This occurs by cell division
 Growth

Growth

Definite Indefinite
Did You Know?
 Growth
The height of Mt Everest increases by approximately
2cm every year!
 Growth

Growth

Extrinsic Intrinsic
 Growth

Growth

Extrinsic Intrinsic

★ Extrinsic growth is ★ Intrinsic growth is the

growth that takes place
exhibited by non-living
inside the body of the living
matter.
organisms.

Growth is a characteristic but NOT a defining property

of living beings
 Growth V/s Development

Growth Development

● Permanent and irreversible ● Development is the sum total of

change changes that occur in an organ or
● May occur in a cell, an organ or a organism during its lifetime
whole organism
● Change in:
○ Size
○ Dry weight
○ Mass
○ Number
 Growth V/s Development

● Three processes are involved in growth:

○ Cell division
○ Cell enlargement
○ Secretion of apoplasmic substances
Can you guess what is the next characteristic of living being?
Can you guess what is the next characteristic of living being?
Reproduction
What’s common in these pictures?
 Reproduction

● Formation of new individuals of a similar kind

● Distinguishes living from non-living

● Not essential for the survival of individuals, but

important for the continuity of the species.
 Reproduction

Reproduction

Sexual Asexual
 Reproduction

Reproduction

Sexual Asexual

• Involves fusion of • Does not involve fusion

gametes of gametes

• Offspring varies • Offspring not identical

genetically from to parents
parents
Do all living
organisms
reproduce?
 Reproduction

• Unicellular organisms reproduction is synonymous

with growth, i.e. increase in number of cells.

• Not very clear with the usage of terms- growth and

reproduction
 Reproduction

Many organisms like mules, sterile worker bees, infertile

human couples do not reproduce.

● Hence, not an all-inclusive defining feature

of life
 Do you know about
the chemical reactions
in our body!
Metabolism
 Metabolism

Anabolism Chlorophyll
O2
● Constructive metabolism
CO
● Includes all the building up reactions 2 Sugar

● Involves synthesis of complex substances

● E.g: Photosynthesis Water
 Metabolism

Catabolism
● Destructive metabolism
● Includes all the breakdown reactions
● Involves breakdown of complex substances
● E.g: Respiration, digestion
 Metabolism

• Metabolism is the sum total of all the biochemical reactions

occurring in our body.

Catabolism Anabolism

• Metabolism is a defining property of living beings

If I perform a chemical
reaction in a test tube,
will it be a living or
non-living reaction?
 Metabolism

Isolated metabolic reactions performed outside the

body in cell-free systems can be referred to as
living reactions but not living things.
Do you know
why a living
being is called
an organism?
 Organ System

Organ

Tissue

Organism

Cell

● Differentiation of a body into smaller units and

subunits arranged in an orderly manner
Cell Organisation
 Cellular Organisation

★ Organelles interact with each other for the

proper functioning of the cell.

★ Due to presence of organellar and cellular

organisation, a living being is called
organism.

★ Cellular organisation is a defining property

of living beings
Have You Observed
This?
Heliophilic Sunflower!!
His reflexes are very strong!
Consciousness
 Consciousness

• Consciousness is awareness of the surroundings and response to

external stimuli.
 Consciousness

● Stimuli are perceived by sense organs

● The visible change or reaction that an organism

produces as a result of applied stimulus is called
response

Consciousness is a defining property of living beings

Did You Know?
Human beings are
the only organisms
that have
self-consciousness.
A person in
coma is
living or
non-living?
 Consciousness

★ The patient has no self-consciousness and is supported by machines.

★ It is difficult to define the living state in such cases as non-living or
living, because they show features of both!

Living and
non-living too!!
Keep Learning!