Living matter

In other articles we talk about the inert matter. It was that material that had no life and did not interact with any living being. Today we are going to talk about the living matter. It is one that is constituted by the set of living beings that inhabit the biosphere. In order for living matter to interact with each other, it must have dynamic communication.

In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics and examples of living matter.

What is living matter

Living matter is that which intervenes in all vital processes such as respiration, feeding, growth and multiplication. They participate in the control of the basic chemical changes that occur throughout the biosphere. Although it is not taken into account too much, it is necessary to emphasize the role of living matter in the composition of gases in the atmosphere.

Living matter is made up of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms. These first ones are the ones that can create their food by themselves. This group includes plants that are capable of creating food through the process of photosynthesis receiving sunlight. On the other hand, we have the heterotrophic organisms. They are those that feed on other living beings and obtain their energy through them. There is a third group consisting of mixotrophic organisms. These organisms can have the characteristics of both at the same time.

The phenomenon of life does not have a physicochemical explanation until today. An attempt has been made to define the creation of life as a result of different ways. It can be said that it is a force or a principle that is found in all animated beings. There are people who define living matter as an organic state that is characterized by having the capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to different stimuli and reproduction.

Key features

We are going to see what are the main characteristics that define living matter. Not all the characteristics that are characteristic of living matter are exclusive. There are some that are in numerous exceptions. We will describe what they are:

Movement

Almost all living matter has the ability to move using different forms of locomotion. We begin to describe the less developed species such as bacteria. Still, they have locomotion mechanisms based on the existence of flagella. Other more evolved species such as vertebrates have various forms of locomotion. Among the forms of locomotion that are found, the one they move is dependent on the environment. We can find some movement mechanisms in aquatic, aerial and terrestrial environments.

Plants can be said to be an exception to the movement of living matter. Inside the plant there is a set of movement that cannot be improved from the outside. These movements are the absorption of nutrients, respiration and movement of the sap, among others.

Sensitivity and respiration

It is another of the characteristics that define living matter. It is supposed to be immersed in a continuously changing environment. Changes in temperature, light intensity, pH, chemical composition, etc. occur in this environment. These are the reasons why living matter must be able to detect changes and generate a response. Thanks to the responses to the different stimuli, different adaptations to new existing conditions are created. This is what is known as the evolution of species.

As for respiration, it is one of the characteristics that most encompasses living matter. And it is capable of developing mechanisms that allow it to incorporate oxygen into the body. This oxygen is used for the generation of energy. Just as they need organs for the incorporation of oxygen, they also need mechanisms to expel the carbon dioxide that is produced.

Growth and reproduction

They are another of the two characteristics by which living matter is defined. It is capable of experiencing an increase in size and mass that can be noticeable in certain periods of life. For example, in many animals most size development occurs in infancy. It is about an incorporation of nutrients to the different tissues that allows the functioning and increase of body mass.

Reproduction is essential to perpetuate the species. There are different degrees of complexity and evolution of the species regarding their reproduction. The purpose of reproduction is to transmit genetic information to offspring. Thanks to the continuous descent of the different species, it is possible to achieve the perpetual survival of a species and prevent it from becoming extinct. However, various environmental conditions can change drastically either naturally or because of humans and cause the extinction of a species.

Bacteria reproduce by spores or budding and binary fission. Other more evolved species can reproduce in a sexual or sexual way.

Elements of living matter

We are going to see what are the main actions and elements that living matter has to define it. Excretion is a process in which raw materials are internalized and metabolized. As a result of metabolism, toxic substances are produced that must be excreted. This function it is made by the lungs and kidneys in the group of mammals.

Nutrition is another aspect to consider. All living matter needs to be fed in order to acquire the essential nutrients to stay alive and for the proper functioning of the body. It needs the fulfillment of all the diverse functions to be able to produce or ingest substances that are required for its subsistence.

It is also capable of concentrating low atomic weight elements such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, magnesium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, potassium, sulfur, and iodine I have to finish a distribution for the correct operation. We know that morphology or shape can undergo changes in the future and new characteristics are added to organisms. These new characteristics are added from mutations or changes in the genetic material.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about living matter and its characteristics.