Question

You are looking at pond water under a microscope with your lab partner and observe something moving across your field of view. Your partner claims it must be alive because it’s moving, but you aren’t so sure. How can you critique your partner’s explanation and determine if what you see is alive? Use logical reasoning as you identify and describe the major characteristics of living organisms in your response.

Write 4 sentences in your own words

I am looking for a reflection, in your own words, of what you remember from the readings in this unit. More like a journal entry than a scientific dissertation. And always, in your own words please

Answer 1

I can understand why my partner thinks that movement indicates life, but it’s important to consider other characteristics of living organisms as well. For something to be classified as alive, it should have traits like cellular organization, the ability to grow and develop, responsiveness to stimuli, and reproduction. Just because something is moving doesn’t mean it meets all these criteria; for example, some non-living things can move due to physical forces. Therefore, I think we should investigate further, looking for signs of cellular structure and reproduction before jumping to conclusions about whether what we see is truly alive.