Living beings: what are, characteristics and classification

When we talk about “living beings” we refer to Any living being that inhabits or has inhabited planet Earthfrom micro to macroscopic forms, these are complex organisms that fulfill certain vital functions.

All living beings have shared characteristics that define them as such, but at the same time they have a great Diversity of shapes, sizes and structures that make them unique. These differences are the result of genetic variability and the adaptation of each individual to the environment where it lives. It is neither more nor less than evolution.

Discover what is the difference between living beings and inert beings.

Sometimes it can be somewhat obvious to define whether an organism is a living being or not, however, it may sometimes be confused, such as the case of viruses. To resolve this “conflict” a series of characteristics were established that a living organism must meet to be considered as such. They are summarized below:

• Structure and organization: All living beings are formed by basic units called cells, which in turn are constituted by essential elements, bioelements. These bioelements are combined to form more complex chemical components such as lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. Thus, the matter of living beings is organized at different levels: chemical, cellular, tissue, organic and systemic. We advise you to see this other article about cell types.
• Metabolism: It has to do with all those enzymatically regulated chemical reactions that occur in organisms and that allow them to obtain matter and energy for the different essential functions such as movement, nutrition, growth and/or reproduction.
• Homeostasis: It is the ability of living beings to maintain a dynamic internal balance within certain limits, it is achieved from regulatory mechanisms.
• Growth: All living beings have the ability to synthesize their own subject, which is achieved through nutrition. In turn, growth is accompanied by development, a series of progressive changes suffered by the body until it reaches maturity.
• Reproduction: Another characteristic necessary to be a living being is to have the ability to self -perpetuate, this is achieved through reproduction.
• Adaptation: It is the ability to adjust to the non -extreme variations of the conditions of the environment, such as temperature, light and humidity. You may be interested in this article about biological adaptation: what is, types and examples.

In this article we tell you more about the characteristics of living beings.

The full life cycle of an organism covers: birth, growth, reproduction and death. So that each of those stages is successful, living beings must fulfill certain vital functions, they are:

• Nutrition: It consists of the incorporation of food to obtain the nutrients and energy necessary for a good maintenance and functioning of the organism and the other vital functions. Know the different types of nutrition that exist.
• Reproduction: It is the generation of individuals similar to their parents. It involves two issues: inheritance, that is, the transmission of genetic information to the new generations, and the variation, the appearance of genetic variability in the different individuals. We recommend the reproduction function: what it consists of and why it is important.
• Relationship: We cannot isolate the living beings of their surroundings, there is an exchange of constant matter and energy to survive, both with the biotic and abiotic environment. Living beings perceive the stimuli of the environment and respond by adapting their metabolism and physiology. You may be interested in the relationship function: what is, phases and examples.

In this post we explain in more detail the vital functions of living beings.

Due to the great diversity of life forms that inhabit the planet, it is necessary to find a way of ordering or grouping living beings, that is, classifying them. But the reality is that science is a constant search for truth and the way to classify living beings has changed throughout history, adjusting to each new discovery.

The first thing to know is that, due to the evolutionary relationships between living beings, they have established themselves different taxonomic levels To classify organisms, where individuals of each level are included within the upper level. In total there are 8 main levels:

• Domain
• Kingdom
• Division
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Gender
• Species

Discover what taxonomy is and how it is classified.

The last established taxonomic classification proposes the existence of 3 domains and 6 kingdoms. The domains are:

• Bacterium: It includes the prokaryotes of the bacterial kingdom, where eubacteria and cyanobacteria are. You may be interested in the types of bacteria.
• Archaea: He groups the kingdom of archeobacteria, other prokaryotes. We recommend reading the Monera Kingdom: what is, characteristics, classification and examples.
• Eukarya: It includes the eukaryotes, where we find the protist kingdom, the Fungi Kingdom, the Plantae kingdom and the animal kingdom.

Now that you know what living beings, their characteristics and their classification are, do not miss this other ecology article where we explain what microorganisms are: classification, characteristics and types.

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