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Question #45807
The Question
According to the criteria for defining properties of living organisms, consider a human patient in a persistent vegetative state (brain-dead) who is supported by machines replacing the heart and lungs. Which of the following is the most scientifically accurate deduction regarding their biological status?
Options
- A.
The patient is considered biologically non-living because consciousness is the defining property of living organisms, and its permanent absence negates the living status.
- B.
The patient is biologically living because they retain cellular organization and metabolism, which are defining features of life without exception, despite lacking self-consciousness.
- C.
The patient is neither living nor non-living, as they merely represent a collection of isolated metabolic reactions occurring in vivo without environmental responsiveness.
- D.
The patient is biologically living because self-consciousness is a defining property of all mammals, and its loss is merely a reversible pathological state.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Comparative_Analysis
Sharpen your ability to evaluate multiple scenarios and distinguish between competing potential answers.
Concepts Behind This Question
Consciousness|Metabolism|Self-consciousness
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often read NCERT's rhetorical question regarding coma patients ('Are such patients living or non-living?') and incorrectly assume they are non-living because 'consciousness is the defining property'.
The trap relies on failing to integrate the absolute rule that 'cellular organization' and 'metabolism' are also defining properties without exception, which sustain the 'biological life' of the patient even when the emergent property of self-consciousness is lost.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | The Living World - Class 11 |
| Concept | Defining Properties Criteria |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |