[Marika (OP)]

Frank says:

There are seven processes essential to life as we know it:
homeostasis, organization, metabolism, growth, adaptation, reproduction and response.

What's the order of the processes? Is there such a thing as a sequence or hierarchy of biological processes in living things?

What do you think?

[evan_au]

Humans exhibit 6 of those things for a number of years before reproduction, so I guess that one could come last.
Scientists are puzzled about the kind of life that might first have appeared on Earth ( let alone other planets). It is possible that energy could have been delivered by sunlight or deep ocean vents, which require minimal metabolic processes.

But I think your list omits one major factor: life must increase the entropy of the universe (faster than non-life). In the end, this may be the only way we will be able to recognise some exobiology.