Life?

*max*

I just had a thought, completely hypothetical. If your child asked you "mum/dad, what is life?" - what would your answer be?

I know it could be philosophical, psychological, anthropological, theological, whatever...I'm just curious. What would you say when asked that question?

onlyroz

I was taught the "7 characteristics of life" at school:

Homeostasis: Regulation of the internal environment to maintain a constant state; for example, electrolyte concentration or sweating to reduce temperature.

Organization: Being structurally composed of one or more cells — the basic units of life.

Metabolism: Transformation of energy by converting chemicals and energy into cellular components (anabolism) and decomposing organic matter (catabolism). Living things require energy to maintain internal organization (homeostasis) and to produce the other phenomena associated with life.

Growth: Maintenance of a higher rate of anabolism than catabolism. A growing organism increases in size in all of its parts, rather than simply accumulating matter.

Adaptation: The ability to change over time in response to the environment. This ability is fundamental to the process of evolution and is determined by the organism's heredity, diet, and external factors.

Response to stimuli: A response can take many forms, from the contraction of a unicellular organism to external chemicals, to complex reactions involving all the senses of multicellular organisms. A response is often expressed by motion; for example, the leaves of a plant turning toward the sun (phototropism), and chemotaxis.

Reproduction: The ability to produce new individual organisms, either asexually from a single parent organism, or sexually from two parent organisms.

*max*

Oh, I forgot biology...d'oh!

1940sGal

"Life is what you make of it" That's the philosophical side of me.

"Don't trust anyone and always put yourself first". That's the cynical side of me

*max*

All answers valid, obviously, it's not *that* kind of thread.
I just wondered what you would tell a child, really. How do you answer that question - not in your own head, or how you would answer if it was going to be printed and you wanted to look smart, but how you would put it to a kid, who is, say, 10 years old.

Buttercup2305

I would tell them life is a gift, with which we choose to do with it, what we will.

1940sGal

*max* wrote: »

All answers valid, obviously, it's not *that* kind of thread.
I just wondered what you would tell a child, really. How do you answer that question - not in your own head, or how you would answer if it was going to be printed and you wanted to look smart, but how you would put it to a kid, who is, say, 10 years old.

I can honestly say I have no idea. I'm not sure I could properly explain it to an adult never mind a 10 year old

Mrs_Ryan

Something that happens while you're looking the other way

moneypuddle

I would explain that life is the time period between birth and death, that we can choose to mould and shape into anything we like within reason. We can fill it full of experiences that make us happy, make decisions that lead us down one path rather than another, forum relationships during it that can be long or short, good or bad, and really make of it what we choose. Id explain we are very lucky to have a life and be alive and need to make the most of it whilst we're here

londonsurrey

... a whim of several million cells to be you for a while


... nature's way of keeping meat fresh

Moneybot

"Life is what happens whilst you are busy making other plans"