liferecognizing
Liferecognizing is the process of identifying life or life-like processes in a system, environment, or dataset. Used across biology, medicine, astrobiology, environmental monitoring, and sensing technologies, it seeks to distinguish living systems or activity from non-living matter and abiotic phenomena.
Common criteria derive from biology and philosophy: metabolism, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, organized structure, and
In laboratory biology, liferecognizing uses imaging, microscopy, culture-based tests, biochemical assays, and genetic sequencing. In astrobiology
Applications include clinical monitoring (vital signs, life support assessment), detection of disease states, ecological surveying, containment
Challenges include ambiguity in partial or novel life forms, false positives and negatives, measurement limits, contamination,
See also biosignature, astrobiology, vital signs, bioethics.