Which term describes a living organism that can function independently and perform all necessary life processes?

• A. Organism
• B. Cell
• C. Tissue
• D. Ribosome

Answer: (A)

The ability to live and function independently is what defines an organism. An organism is a living being that can carry out all the processes needed for life on its own, including obtaining and using energy (metabolism), growing, responding to the environment, maintaining internal stability (homeostasis), and reproducing. In contrast, a cell is the basic unit of life, and while a single cell can be an organism if it’s a unicellular life form, most multicellular organisms are composed of many cells that rely on each other to carry out all life processes. A tissue is just a group of similar cells working together for a specific function, not a whole living being. A ribosome is a tiny molecular machine inside cells that makes proteins and is not alive by itself. So the term that best fits a living organism capable of functioning independently is organism.