All living things share certain essential characteristics, although they may seem diverse. Here are some of the common traits that all living things have in common:
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Cellular organization: All living things are made up of one or more cells, which are the basic unit of life/02%3A_Introduction_to_Human_Biology/2.2%3A_Shared_Traits_of_All_Living_Things).
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Metabolism: All living things require energy to carry out their life processes, such as growth, reproduction, and response to the environment.
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Homeostasis: All living things maintain a stable internal environment, despite changes in the external environment.
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Growth and development: All living things grow and develop, either by increasing the number of cells or by enlarging the size of their cells.
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Reproduction: All living things are capable of reproducing, either sexually or asexually/02%3A_Introduction_to_Human_Biology/2.2%3A_Shared_Traits_of_All_Living_Things).
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Response to stimuli: All living things can respond to stimuli in their environment, such as light, temperature, or touch.
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Adaptation: All living things can adapt to their environment over time, through natural selection and evolution.
In addition, all living things share a similar cellular structure that is made of the same genetic material to varying degrees.
