need help AP bio question for friend

what is the difference between styrofoam and a living organism?

from Sins Forums
I know, sounds like a cheap ploy to get you guys to do my homework for me, but i swear its for a good friend and its really important to him.

<@kryo> they both contain carbon, other than that, not much in common at all

is there anyone that can give more detail than that? would be a BIG help
off-topic
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Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
styrofoam and a living organism

styrofoam is really just a construction of the outer shells of bacteria, living organisms have organelles and functioning pieces to them

thats not a hard question...
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
thats not a hard question...


some of us arent geniuses
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
but its not a genius question! well, to be fair it is early in the school year I guess.


anyway what I said is a dramatic simplification: styrofoam is whats known as polystryene, its a polymer of styrene (C8H3) and is like the shell of bacteria.
however, it has no functional components beyond that. bacteria on the other hand have all sorts of subcomponents and organelles, of which the skin is just one.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
can you put it longer, if he managed to impress it would really help him.

if you dont want to its fine, i know how you hate me on these forums <3
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
and is like the shell of bacteria.


But 'like' isn't the same as 'is'. Polystyrene is chemically synthesized.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
sqrls, all you need to know thats similar is that they are both organic compounds, and that they have the same function: creating a strengthy outer layer. the differences are countless, like kryo said it is synthesiezed, also its a polymer of benzenes, whereas bacteria walls are combinations of sugars and proteins (amino acids), the more differences that you can drudge up the better

but just know that most science teachers prefer concise to long winded.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
Styrofoam doesn't exhibit the "characteristics of life"

Organized
Reproduction
Growth/ Development
Adjust (response and stimulus)
Natural Selection (evolution).

ORGAN is why viruses aren't living things...even though they have DNA and stuff.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Styrofoam doesn't exhibit the "characteristics of life"

its not just that either, its also the structure of the compound, the complexity and the uniformity of polystryene.

ORGAN is why viruses aren't living things

organelle, to be politically correct.

as for if they are living, I believe thats up for definition, because they do exhibit certain complexities that resemble eukaryotic and prokaryotic specimens.