Definition
An organism is any living thing that functions as an individual. Such a definition raises more problems than it solves, not least because the concept of an individual is also difficult. Several criteria, few of which are widely accepted, have been proposed to define what constitutes an organism. Among the most common is that an organism has autonomous reproduction, growth, and metabolism. This would exclude viruses, even though they evolve like organisms.
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A Greek–English LexiconAbiogenesisAdaptationAddison-WesleyAlgaAlgaeAmoebaAncient GreekAnglerfishAnimalAntApicoplastApolemiaArchaeaArtificial cellAstrobiologyAtmosphere of EarthAutonomyAvsunviroidaeBacteriaBacteriomeBacteriumBasilBiocoenosisBiodiversityBiological dark matterBiological organisationBiological systemBiologyBiomeBiomoleculeBiosphereCalculusCancer cellCell (biology)Cell divisionCell growthCell signalingChemical communication in insectsChemical elementChimera (genetics)ChloroplastChromoplastChromosomeCiliumCircular chromosomeClaude ShannonClimateClonally transmissible cancerCloudCoacervateCognitionColicinColonial organismColony (biology)CosmidCritique of JudgmentCutting (plant)CyanobacteriaCyborgDNADNA replicationDNA transposonDNA virusDavid C. QuellerDefective interfering particleDictyosteliumDouble-stranded RNA virusesDsDNA-RT virusEarliest known life formsEarthEarth scienceEcologyEcosystemElectromechanicsElsevierEndogenous retrovirusEndogenous viral elementEndosymbiontEnergyEntropyEnzymeErwin SchrödingerEukaryoteEusocial insectEusocial insectsEusocialityEvolutionEvolution (journal)Evolutionary developmental biologyExtrachromosomal DNAFaunaFertility factor (bacteria)Field (physics)FloraFosmidFungal DiversityFungal prionFungiFungusFuture of EarthGaia hypothesisGameteGastrozooidGeneGene duplicationGenetic informationGenomeGenomic islandGeological history of EarthGeologyGerm-Soma DifferentiationGerontoplastGiant virusGroup II intronGroup I catalytic intronGroup selectionHeLaHelper dependent virusHelper virusHenry LiddellHeritabilityHistory and Philosophy of the Life SciencesHistory of EarthHistory of lifeHomeostasisHorizontal gene transferHybrotHydrogenosomeImmanuel KantImmune responseIncertae sedisIndividualIndividualityInformation theoryInternal structure of EarthInterspersed repeatJeewanuJellyfishJoan E. StrassmannJournal of Biological SystemsJournal of Evolutionary BiologyJournal of Theoretical BiologyKappa organismLast universal common ancestorLeucoplastLichenLifeLinear chromosomeLiving creatures (Bible)Macromolecular assemblyMacromoleculeMatterMetabolismMeteorologyMicrobiomeMicroorganismMitochondrionMitosomeMobile genetic elementsMobilomeModel lipid bilayerMoonlightMulticellular organismMushroomMutationMutualism (biology)Naked mole-ratNanobacteriumNanobeNatural environmentNatural selectionNatureNature-based solutionsNature Reviews MicrobiologyNectophoreNitroplastNon-cellular lifeNon-coding DNANucleic acidNucleic acid sequenceOceanOnline Etymology DictionaryOrgan (biology)OrganelleOrigin of replicationOxford University PressPalponParakaryonParameciumParticlePerseus ProjectPhagemidPlantPlant stemPlasmidPlastidPlate tectonicsPopulation (biology)PospiviroidaePrionProkaryoteProphageProteinProteinoidProtistProtocellProvirusR-factorRNARNA-dependent RNA polymeraseRNA virusRNA worldRadiationRainRecombination (biology)Repeated sequence (DNA)Replicon (genetics)ReproductionRetrotransposonRetrovirusRetrozymeRibozymeRichard DawkinsRobert Scott (philologist)Satellite (biology)Secondary chromosomeSelf-assemblySelf-replicationSiphonophoraeSiphonophoreSlime moldSnowSocial groupSorocarpSpaceSpeciesSpongeStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophySubviral agentsSulphobesSunlightSuperorganismSynthetic biologySynthetic virologyTandem repeatTeleonomyThe MonistTi plasmidTideTimeTissue (biology)Tobacco mosaic virusTornadoTransposable elementTranspovironTrends in Ecology & EvolutionTrophosomeTropical cycloneUnicellular organismUniverseViral evolutionViral vectorViroidViromeVirophageVirulence factorVirusVirusoidWeatherWildernessWildfireWindZooid
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