Lecture Notes on

Introduction

• How to identify living and non-living things.
• Consider metabolism, cellular organization, and consciousness as defining features of living beings.

Diversity in the Living World

1. Biodiversity: The presence of various types of living organisms.
2. Characteristic Features:

• Features found in both living and non-living organisms.
• Features like growth can be found in both.

Defining Features of Living Organisms

1. Metabolism:

• The sum total of reactions in the body.
• Present in every living organism, not in non-living.
• Reactions occur through catabolism and anabolism.

2. Cellular Organization:

• Every living organism is made of cells.
• Cellular organization is not found in non-living.

3. Consciousness:

• Being aware of surroundings.
• Self-consciousness is only in humans.

Growth as a Characteristic Feature

1. Extrinsic Growth:

• External growth, like in mountains.
• Reversible growth, found in non-living organisms.

2. Intrinsic Growth:

• Internal growth, biological like plants.
• Irreversible growth, only in living organisms.

Reproduction

1. Asexual Reproduction:

• Reproduction without a partner.
• Binary fission, budding, fragmentation, etc.

2. Sexual Reproduction:

• Reproduction with a partner.
• Complex and slow process.

Other Important Points

• International properties occur only in groups, not in individuals.
• Some living reactions can be conducted through cloning and lab reactions.
• All living organisms have DNA, which is passed from generation to generation.