Is It Living?

- Zoe, Tabashmi, Johanna - JTZ

● You and your crewmates have finally landed on your chosen planet. It is now time to begin exploring it.

● Remember that you are trying to find life. In order to cover the most territory, your group decides to split up and explore
different areas, with each of you agreeing to bring back samples of anything that looks like it might contain life or
evidence of life.

● After putting on protective space suits, you go out and explore. The first thing you notice is that the planet is very different
from Earth. Nothing looks familiar, and you realize that any life forms on this planet are likely to be very different from
anything you’ve seen before.

● When you get back you learn that several of your crewmates have also brought back samples, so you and your crewmates
examine them. Now comes the hard part. You must decide if the samples are living things, or evidence of living things, or
non-living. How will you decide this? What will you look for?

Sample Analysis Form

● You and your crewmates have 5 samples to examine. Working with one sample at a time, examine and discuss it as a
group, and try to decide if it is living, evidence of life, or non-living. List some observations about the object that makes
you think it is living, evidence of life, or non-living.

Sample 1

Living Evidence of Life Non-Living

Justification

● Justify why you think the Sample is living / evidence of life / non-living

The sample is non-living because it looks like a rock and flakes off in small yellow pieces. It was revealed to be sulfur.
Sulfur doesn’t grow, it can’t reproduce, and it doesn’t have DNA. Because it doesn’t have a lot of the living
characteristics that scientists deem as the ‘living’ characteristics, it is non-living.

Sample 2

Living Evidence of Life Non-Living

Justification

● Justify why you think the Sample is living / evidence of life / non-living

This sample is living because it looks like a leaf-like structure that we have seen on Earth, which can grow with water,
sucrose, etc. That way, it is living with qualities that can let it live. It also shows evidence of being living at some point
because it has cell-like structures when put under a microscope, and according to our understanding of life, it would be
considered living. It is definitely part of something that was previously living.

Sample 3

Living Evidence of Life Non-Living

Justification
 ● Justify why you think the Sample is living / evidence of life / non-living

This is a living object because it is yeast and is in its dormant form. Under the microscope, we saw many purplish-black
cell-like structures which hinted at it being alive. We also experimented with sugar and water, stirring yeast into the
solution. After around 30 minutes, the solution looked yellow and mostly opaque, the yeast came into its active form and
started smelling really nasty. Therefore, due to all this evidence, we deemed sample 3 as living.

Sample 4

Living Evidence of Life Non-Living

Justification

● Justify why you think the Sample is living / evidence of life / non-living

This sample shows evidence of life. It is made of plastic, which is non-living. However, plastic comes from crude oil and
natural gas. Crude oil comes from dead organisms. Organisms are considered to be alive, so therefore, sample 4 has
evidence of life however, isn't alive currently.

Sample 5

Living Evidence of Life Non-Living

Justification

● Justify why you think the Sample is living / evidence of life / non-living

The sample looks like a shark's tooth, as we saw on earth. The sample has grooves, cuts, and impressions, clearly
showing evidence of it being used at some point. It also has grooves and dents along the sides of the tooth. Therefore, it
was probably part of a shark at some point however, it died, showing us evidence of life.

Complete the following question in your team. You may need to do some research
1. How can you tell if something is living or not? What are the characteristics (or rules) Scientists use to figure out if
something is alive?

Scientists deem something as living or non-living through characteristics or functions such as order, sensitivity/response to the
environment, reproduction, adaptation, growth and development, homeostasis (internal workings), energy processing, and
evolution.

2. Of the things that were not considered alive (never living), name one characteristic of life that none of them had.

One characteristic of the things that were not considered living is that they do not have any DNA. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic
acid, is a fundamental molecule found in the cells of all living organisms and serves as the genetic material that carries the
instructions for the development, functioning, and reproduction of living organisms. Non-living objects usually cannot grow,
reproduce or adapt to their environment.

3. What are three examples of how human beings show the characteristics of life?
Three examples of how human beings show the characteristics of life would be:
● Movement - Being able to move in some way or another is a characteristic of life in humans. It is vital for reacting to
surroundings like the environment and seeking resources.
● Growth and development - Humans have continuous growth and development throughout their lives. From infancy to
adulthood, everyone experiences physical and mental changes, like developing bones, muscles, etc. This process of
growth and development is a hallmark of the majority population of living organisms.
● Reproduction - Human beings reproduce, contributing to the continuation of the species. Reproduction involves the
fusion of male and female gametes to form a new individual. While reproduction is not an individual characteristic but a
species-level one, it is crucial for the survival and continuation of human life.

4. What are three examples of how plants show the characteristics of life?

Plants show characteristics of life by:

● Processing energy - Plants photosynthesize by taking in light (energy) from the sun through their leaves, converting it
into glucose, and fueling themselves.
● Sensitivity/response to the environment - Plants either thrive or die depending on their surroundings that it is subject to.
For example, if a plant gets too much water, it will die of overhydration. If it gets too little, it will die of not enough
hydration.
● Adaptation - Plants can adapt according to the weather or climate around them. For example, plants in tundras are
usually small and furry, the fur-like coating helping the plants to stay warm. However, desert plants usually have spikes,
like cacti, which help them in water regulation.

5. What are three examples of how microbes (bacteria, fungi and viruses) show the characteristics of life?

Three examples of how microbes show characteristics of life are:

- Cellular structure - Microbes, such as bacteria, show cellular structures, which are an essential characteristic of life.
They are made of one or more cells, each containing many different organelles and structures.
- Reproduction - Microbes show the ability to reproduce, a crucial characteristic of living organisms. They can replicate
and multiply. Reproduction allows microbes to pass on their genetic information and ensure the continuation of their
species.
- Genetic material - Microbes possess genetic material, usually in the form of DNA or RNA. This genetic material carries
the instructions necessary for the functions inside a microbe. The presence of genetic material is a crucial indicator of
life, and it enables microbes to pass on genetic information to their offspring.

6. Using this link: Alive or Not? Characteristics of Living Things , fill in the following data table and determine if the
following things are living or nonliving.

Grow Reproduce Adapt Made of Use Respond Homeo- Has DNA Living or
Or Cells Energy to the stasis Nonliving
Evolve Environe
mnt

Example: X Nonliving
Ice melts

Cells x x x x x x x living

Running x x x x non-living
Water

A seed x x x x x x x x living

Clouds x non-living
 A clock x nonliving

Coral x x x x x x x x living

Fire x x x x x nonliving

Bubbles x x nonliving

Cars x x nonliving

A Kitten x x (when x x x x x x living

older)

Jellyfish x x x x x x x x living

7. Which characteristics do your team feel best define life?

We felt that homeostasis, response to the environment, and evolution best define life. Obviously, these terms cannot include all
the life on Earth since it is all very diverse. Homeostasis, to any extent, is essential for cellular function and maintaining a stable
inner environment. Response to the environment is vital for interacting and adapting to the surroundings to ensure the survival
of the species. Evolution is crucial for adaptation to surroundings and possibly even creating a new species, bringing an
abundance of life.

respond to their environment

grow and change
have complex chemistry and genetic material
maintain homeostasis
are built of structures called cells
reproduce and have offspring
pass their traits onto their offspring