個体

This term is primarily used in scientific, biological, or technical contexts to refer to a single organism as a distinct physical entity. It focuses on the biological specimen rather than the social or legal identity of a being.

It is crucial to distinguish "個体" (kotai) from "個人" (kojin). While "個体" refers to a biological individual (applicable to animals, plants, and humans), "個人" refers to a person as a member of society or a legal entity. Using "個体" to describe a human in a social context would sound clinical, dehumanizing, or purely scientific.

Additionally, be careful not to confuse it with the homophone "固体" (kotai), which means "solid" in the context of states of matter (solid, liquid, gas). While they sound identical, their kanji and meanings are entirely different.