Which Feature is Present in All Known Living Things

Question

Which feature is present in all known living things?
A) genes made from proteins
B) growth from inorganic materials
C) absorption of sunlight for energy
D) metabolic reactions

Accepted Answer

Metabolic reactions are present in all known living things. They are essential for maintaining life, including cellular respiration, digestion, and synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids. While genes made from proteins (A) are present in most living things, there are exceptions such as some viruses which have genes made of RNA. Growth from inorganic materials (B) is limited to certain organisms such as plants, which can take up nutrients from the soil to grow. Absorption of sunlight for energy (C) is a characteristic of photosynthetic organisms such as plants, algae, and some bacteria, but not all living things.