Characteristics that will make/qualify a thing a living organism

Question

Characteristics that will make/qualify a thing a living organism

In: 2

Answer 1

It has to be able to reproduce itself, respond to the environment, obtain and use energy, and consist of 1 or more biological cells (microscopic, water-filled structures enclosed by a double layer of lipids, or fatty molecules).

This definition could be revised if/when new lifelike things are found. The definition of a “cell” is also somewhat ambiguous and it’s not immediately clear why an enveloped virus doesn’t count as a cell. Some might say that an enveloped virus doesn’t have the ability to make proteins, but neither do red blood cells, and they are considered cells.