If an object were found on another planet that appeared to move and react to ext
ID: 3516004 • Letter: I
Question
If an object were found on another planet that appeared to move and react to external stimuli, what other characteristics would be necessary to classify it as “alive” and why?
If an object were found on another planet that appeared to move and react to external stimuli, what other characteristics would be necessary to classify it as “alive” and why?
If an object were found on another planet that appeared to move and react to external stimuli, what other characteristics would be necessary to classify it as “alive” and why?
Explanation / Answer
If an object is found on another planet and if they are able to move and respond to external stimuli it can classified as ALIVE depending on its characteristics regarding response to external stimuli. If an object can be called alive then it should have the following characteristics -
An alive object is alive then it should have the specific genetic materials which is for us the DNA and RNA. They will have the necessary information to contitute a organized system that will do a specific task. They will constitute cell and that is meant for doing a specific task. The genetic material will have the necessary information to make a system that can respond to external stimulation. In the question it is given that this object can move and respond to external stimuli. These atre the very important aspects of life. Move means that this creature can have apendages for locomotion or it has muscle like structures that can contract and relax and aid in locomotion. It is also given that this creature can repond to external stimuli that means that there are receptors that carry the information to the central organ and there are effector organsthat react to the stimuli.
An alive object needs energy to live and for this purpose this creature must eat and extract the energy from it. Every living object needs for for living andfood is processed through a complex set of enzymes that break down the complexfood material into siple absorbable form and thay are comsumedby thecells to produce energy to live, to respond to external stimuli, to locomote etc.
Another important characteristic is to excrete out wast products from the body. During digestion and metabolism waste products are generated which are not needed for the body. These things are needed to excrete out from the body so that the donot do any harm. The alive creature must have these properties also. Excreted products can be in gaseous form, insilid or liquid form. The creature must have specific systems to eleminate these products. These systems are formed of cells that have genetic material that will have the necessary infor mation to carry out the processes.
Locomotion is another character property of alive object. Lomotion is needed for living as to escape from predators, to look for food , to look for new space for living the alive object must change its position and locomotion depending on the external stimulus.
Reproduction is another interesting property of the living object and a living object must live the next generation behind so that its genetic information can be passed and remain in later time also. A living object produces an alike object that by reproduction.
All these characters must be identified in this new thing to call it alive.