Are bacteria living organisms?

• A. NO
• B. YES
• C. Sometimes
• D. Not always

Answer: (B)

Living things share several key traits, and bacteria exhibit all of them. They are made of cells and have the basic cellular machinery needed to live. They metabolize energy by taking in nutrients and converting them into usable forms. They grow in size and typically reproduce, often by dividing to make new cells. They respond to their environment, adjusting their behavior or physiology in response to changes. They maintain internal conditions to some degree (homeostasis) and, over generations, evolve through genetic variation and natural selection.

Bacteria are single-celled prokaryotes, meaning they lack a true nucleus but still have DNA, ribosomes, a cell membrane, and cytoplasm. This combination of cellular structure and life processes—metabolism, growth, reproduction, response, and evolution—qualifies them as living organisms. The absence of a nucleus does not negate their status as living.