Life is a property that distinguishes living organisms which have organic processes like signaling and self-sustaining mechanisms from non-living things. There are many forms of life including plants, animals, fungi, protists, archaea, and bacteria. Biology is the study of life, however there is currently no consensus on a definition of life. One definition is that organisms maintain homeostasis, are composed of cells, have a life cycle involving metabolism, growth, adaptation, response to stimuli, reproduction, and evolution. Life first appeared on Earth over 4 billion years ago in the form of microorganisms.