Biophysics Week One: Life and Living Systems

I know I’m a “living system” because…….
I assume I am a living system because this body I live in is relatively functional. I know it is hard at work to keep me moving around and it lets me know when its time to fill it with snacks and water to keep it going. When I eat good things it works well, when I fill it with sugary or processed food like substances it doesn't work as well. The system essentially rejects my use of subpar fuels. I believe this system to be "living" because as far as I can tell the whole system works according to my conscious and unconscious intentions, which leads me to believe that the system and I are a cohesive unit. And I'm pretty sure I'm alive. I doubt they have things like rent and bills wherever we go when we die, unless we reincarnate, in which case I would be alive again.

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At different points in the term we have talked about the universe in both the most macroscopic and microscopic terms. From the vastness of the universe to infinitely small subatomic particles, we are exploring the rules, structures, habits, and perspectives of the natural world. In "Sondra Barrett found God through a microscope" I was struck by the similarity between Barrett's drive to show people the art of the microscopic world and the reactions to the first image of the earth from space. Each represent a paradigm-shifting look at the world in a whole new way. Each were an opportunity to show the general public that the universe is far more complex then we could ever comprehend. Call it god or call it science or whatever name you choose, but we can't ignore that what we see through a microscope, the microscopic innards of a plant or some such specimen, is proof of a world that is complicated and beautiful!