Related topics: earth
Life
hideLife on Earth:
Life (cf. biota) is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have self-sustaining biological processes ("alive," "living"), from those which do not —either because such functions have ceased (death), or else because they lack such functions and are classified as "inanimate."
In biology, the science that studies living organisms, "life" is the condition which distinguishes active organisms from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, functional activity and the continual change preceding death. A diverse array of living organisms (life forms) can be found in the biosphere on Earth, and properties common to these organisms—plants, animals, fungi, protists, archaea, and bacteria — are a carbon- and water-based cellular form with complex organization and heritable genetic information. Living organisms undergo metabolism, maintain homeostasis, possess a capacity to grow, respond to stimuli, reproduce and, through natural selection, adapt to their environment in successive generations. More complex living organisms can communicate through various means.
In philosophy and religion, the conception and nature of life varies, and offer interpretations in the frameworks of existence and consciousness, and touch on many other related issues, such as, ontology, value, life stance, purpose, conceptions of God, the soul and the afterlife.
For more information about Life, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with life
Oceans becoming noisier thanks to pollution -- report
Dec 20, 2009 |
4 / 5 (4) |
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The world's oceans are becoming noisier thanks to pollution, with potentially harmful effects for whales, dolphins and other marine life, US scientists said in a study published Sunday.
New Study of Meteorite Provides More Evidence for Ancient Life on Mars
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 17, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (42) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In 1996, when scientists examined a meteorite from Mars previously uncovered in Antarctica, they were intrigued by what looked like microscopic fossils of ancient Martian life forms. Now, ...
Switchable Nanostructures Made with DNA
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Dec 21, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (9) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have found a new way to use a synthetic form of DNA to control the assembly of nanoparticles — this time resulting ...
Shallow Origins
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 22, 2009 |
5 / 5 (11) |
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In finding answers to the mystery of the origin of life, scientists may not have to dig too deep. New research is shedding light on shallower waters as a possible location for where life on Earth began.
Efficient new wireless system can save 10 percent of bandwidth
Dec 22, 2009 |
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Driven by fast-growing use of smart phones and Internet videos, wireless communication among Americans is expanding so rapidly that a tsunami of megabytes could soon threaten to overwhelm the bandwidth available.
Research finds happiest US States match a million Americans' own happiness states
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Dec 17, 2009 |
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New research by the UK's University of Warwick and Hamilton College in the US into the happiness levels of a million individual US citizens have revealed their personal happiness levels closely correlate ...
Couples who do the dishes together stay happier
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Dec 15, 2009 |
3.3 / 5 (3) |
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A new study published by The University of Western Ontario reveals that couples who share the responsibility for paid and unpaid work report higher average measures of happiness and life satisfaction than those in other family ...
Social scientists build case for 'survival of the kindest'
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Dec 08, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (36) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are challenging long-held beliefs that human beings are wired to be selfish. In a wide range of studies, social scientists are amassing ...
Review: Netbooks meet luxury in ultra-light Sony
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Dec 16, 2009 |
3 / 5 (3) |
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(AP) -- Netbooks have been a hit among laptop buyers because they're cheap and they're easy to carry. Now there's the option to pay a lot more and get a lot less - a lot less weight, that is.
Why females live longer than males: is it due to the father's sperm?
Dec 01, 2009 |
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Researchers in Japan have found that female mice produced by using genetic material from two mothers but no father live significantly longer than mice with the normal mix of maternal and paternal genes. Their findings provide ...
How to Find Signs of Life on Mars
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 18, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
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By studying the signatures of fossil life on Earth, geobiologists can get a clue of what to look for when hunting for extraterrestrial life on Mars.
'Anti-social network' aims to be Facebook killer app
Dec 10, 2009 |
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Facebook makes you despair? Social networking makes you want to end it all? You may be ready for online ritual suicide with the aid of a new website that helps you kill your virtual identity.
Extra pores on plants could ease global warming: Japan study
Dec 10, 2009 |
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Japanese researchers said Thursday they had found a way to make plant leaves absorb more carbon dioxide in an innovation that may one day help ease global warming and boost food production.
Playing favorites: Parents still involved after children are grown
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Dec 07, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Middle-aged parents are more involved in their grown children's lives than ever, according to new research from Purdue University.
Make your pets a part of your New Year's resolutions
Dec 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- When drawing up a list of New Year's resolutions, be sure to include your pets, says Lorraine Corriveau, a wellness veterinarian at Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine.
