What is life?

Introduction:
we defined biology as the branch of science concerned with the study of living things, or organisms. That definition is pretty straightforward. However, it opens the door to more difficult—and more interesting—questions: What is life? What does it mean to be alive?
Properties of life:
Biologists have identified various traits common to all the living organisms we know of. Although nonliving things may show some of these characteristic traits, only living things show all of them.

1. Organization:
   Living things are highly organized, and all living organisms are made up of one or more cells, which are considered the fundamental units of life. Individual cells perform complex biochemical processes needed to maintain their structure and function, and each cell is highly organized.
2. Response:
   Living organisms show “irritability,” meaning that they respond to stimuli or changes in their environment. For instance, people pull their hand away—fast!—from a flame; many plants turn toward the sun; and unicellular organisms may migrate toward a source of nutrients or away from a noxious chemical.
3. Evolution:
   Populations of living organisms can undergo evolution, meaning that the genetic makeup of a population may change over time. In some cases, evolution involves natural selection, in which a heritable trait, such as darker fur color or narrower beak shape, lets organisms survive and reproduce better in a particular environment.
   What do you think?
   How would you define life? Would you add something to the list of properties above, subtract something, or use an entirely different definition? Can you think of exceptions or special cases that aren’t covered by the list? Share your ideas in the comments section below!