What Makes a Tiger a Tiger? It's this inside this Cell!
It may surprise you to learn that scientists believe there are as many as 100 million distinct kinds of life on Earth. Every one of these species is distinct, and when they procreate, their offspring acquire certain characteristics from their parents that identify them as members of the same species.
Heredity is the theory that characteristics are passed on from parent to kid and is the fundamental characteristic that makes an object alive. It distinguishes life from other natural phenomena, such as the formation of crystals, the burning of candles, or the formation of waves in water. These processes produce patterns, but unlike living organisms, they do not pass on features.
Living things require energy to stay structured and maintain their bodies, much like a candle needs energy to burn. Within us, this energy drives a myriad of intricate chemical reactions that are regulated by our genetic makeup, which is inherited from our parents.
The majority of organisms are composed of cells. Even our bodies, which are like vast, active cities made up of individual cells with distinct functions and means of communication, began as a single cell when we were very small. All of the instructions, or blueprints, that comprise our identity are contained in that one solitary cell.
These incredible cells function like little factories rather than just sitting around. They collect materials from their surroundings and use these materials to create genetically identical replicas of themselves in new cells. The idea that every aspect of who we are, from the colour of our eyes to our eventual height, is contained in these small cells is really amazing!
Thus, the essence of life is essentially this process of heredity transmission between successive generations and the remarkable capacities of these minuscule building blocks, cells, which enable all that we perceive and experience.
Have a great day
Craig