Why does an increase in mass alone fail to distinguish living organisms from non-living objects?
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Why does an increase in mass alone fail to distinguish living organisms from non-living objects?
Think of your answer, then reveal it.
Non-living objects such as sand mounds can increase in mass by accumulating material on their surface. Growth in living organisms occurs from within. Growth is a characteristic of living systems, but growth alone is not a defining property.
Some living organisms do not reproduce, including mules and sterile worker bees. Reproduction therefore does not include every living organism as a defining characteristic. In unicellular organisms, reproduction increases cell number, so it coincides with growth in this sense.
Recall the asexual methods illustrated by yeast and Hydra, filamentous algae, and Planaria.
Think of your answer, then reveal it.
Yeast and Hydra reproduce by budding. Filamentous algae can multiply by fragmentation. In Planaria, a body fragment regenerates the missing parts and becomes a new organism.