Unicellular organisms must carry out all the essential processes of life, which include:
- Metabolism: The chemical processes that occur within the cell to maintain life, including the conversion of nutrients into energy.
- Response to Stimuli: The ability to respond to environmental changes or stimuli (like light, temperature, etc.).
- Growth and Development: The ability to grow and develop over time.
- Reproduction: The ability to reproduce, either asexually (such as by binary fission) or sexually.
- Homeostasis: The ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.
In essence, unicellular organisms must perform all these processes to sustain life, which is somewhat similar to multicellular organisms, but they do so within a single cell.
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