Definition of Life

Living Organisms:

1. Are highly organized; their various body functions are directly linked together
2. Are chemically different from their surrounding environment
3. Take in energy from the surrounding environment and use it for their own energy
4. Have the capacity to reproduce themselves and to produce offspring that closely resemble the adult
5. Can respond to surrounding stimuli
6. Are particularly suited to their environment
7. Usually can adapt to changes in their surroundings
8. Are composed of carbon-based organic molecules

Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cell_Biology/Introduction/What_is_living