Features of Life > Criteria of Life > Page 5

Activities of Life; Growth

Growth is the irreversible increase in size or volume. Each organism has a finite size that it can achieve. The size of single celled organisms is limited by movement of molecules into and within a cell. Multicellular organisms can become quite large if they have a system to transport nutrients throughout the body. For terrestrial organisms, a means of support is also required to achieve a maximal size.


Note that growth requires energy. It cannot occur without metabolism. As we'll see, all the activities of life are interrelated to one another.