Answer to Question #206087 in Cell Biology for Anna

Question

Are all living organisms in nature unique in some way? Are for example every cherry blossom and every oak leaf a little bit different from every other flower and leaf on the planet? I know that some animals (like earthworms and aphids) and some plants reproduce by naturally cloning themselves and thus have identical DNA. But is it still always possible to find something that is different between them (despite their identical DNA)? 

Can two cherry blossoms ever look EXACTLY the same or not (the difference might be so small that it can not be seen by human eyes and maybe not even with an advanced microscope, but is there still always a tiny difference if you go to the level of cells or elementary particles)?

I would highly appreciate it if you could help me answer this question!

Answer 1

Notably, we have millions and millions of various types of individual organisms which normally inhabit the environment from time to time, some look similar or different from others. According to biologists, organisms are normally classified into different groups and subgroups in regard to their differences or similarities found in their behavior and structure. However, we have clear distinction between organisms, for example, plants and animals. Plants receive their energy from direct sunlight while plants get energy from their food normally synthesized by plants.

Basically, a human being, a bacterium and a rose have one thing in common which is the deoxyribonucleic acid well known as DNA. Arguably, all living cells have got DNA. However, exact location for DNA normally depends on whether the cell has got a special membrane-bound organelle known as nucleus. Notably, organisms with cells that has got nuclei are classified as eukaryotes while those with cells that lacks nuclei are classified as prokaryotes. Besides, in eukaryotes DNA is found within the nucleus while in the prokaryotes DNA is found within cellular cytoplasm since there is no available nucleus.