The nine properties of life are as follows, Order, Metabolism, Motility, Responsiveness, Reproduction, Development, Heredity, Evolution and Adaptations. To understand what each of these properties are and their role in life, each characteristic will be discussed. First, Order is defined as a precise arrangement of units and activities structured together. Second, Metabolism is the chemical reaction that is a acquired usage to repair, grow and other survival processes. Third is Motility, the usage of own self to move.
Fourth is Responsiveness, the willingness and tendency to react in an environment and surroundings. Fifth is Reproduction, the method of giving individuals of the same order a rise to create. Sixth is Development, the process of any living thing that increases in size and mass as it grows. Seventh is Heredity is the pass-down of units called genes from parent to offspring and it’s a control of physical, chemical and behavior traits. Eight is Evolution, the populations of living things that change over time and acquire new ways of survival.
All living things evolve with time. The final and ninth step of life is the Adaptations, the ability to overcome and fit in lives structures, behaviors and most important the environment. Viruses cannot reproduce without the help of living cells. A Virus has to infect a cell and once the cell is infected it will marshal the cells ribosomes and enzymes to reproduce. A prion is mostly protein and although proteins are components of living cells, a prion is not.
The interesting thing about prions are they are like viruses but without the DNA or RNA and in order for a prion to reproduce or be considered alive it must force living cells to do the reproduction for them. Viroids are found only in plant cells. They consist of a piece of RNA that is very small. Like a Virus and Prion, Viroid depends on other host of factors to replicate. Viroid and Prions are agents that are infectious but can’t transmit diseases. Viroids especially differ from a virus in that they lack the coat protein.
They are circular stranded RNA fragments that only replicate on their own inside plant cells. Viruses, Prions and Viroids are non-living things but when combined and introduced to other chemical and living things in their environment by cells whether its RNA or DNA or a host of other factors they are able to reproduce in their own environment amongst themselves. With the help of the community these impossible living things become fragile and living and are able to reproduce.
