All humans on the planet are considered to be one species because all groups can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. By definition, species are unique organisms. Discussions about human uniqueness have focused on a number of biological characteristics, tools, and culture. Some of those include:

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Sexual patterns

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Upright posture - (transportation)

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Thumb

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Hand eye coordination

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Sense organs

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Speech

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Brain

Biological add-ons

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Tools - material

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Culture - nonmaterial

Humans are biological organisms. We need energy from our environment - Our lungs breath in air. Our digestive track is flexible enough to digest a wide variety of foods, including both vegetables and meat. We reproduce sexually. Humans have five sense organs. Touch and taste require contact. Hearing and smell do not require contact but operate only in air. Sight has the greatest range and is the only sense that allows us to monitor phenomena beyond the planet. Seventy percent of the sensory input to our brains is visual. Compared to other species, none of the five human sense organs are the most sensitive or accurate. There are senses we didn't even evolve like the dolphin's sonar or a bat's radar.

The Brain:  The brain, specifically the cerebral cortex, is the one organ that is more developed in humans than any other species. Think of the brain as a large collection of  subroutines that perform various functions ranging from regulating metabolism to thinking about social problems. Like all organs the brain has evolved over time so it is more like a collection of "add-ons" than a general purpose machine. Only humans and our closest great ape relatives appear to have brain routines that enable them to recognize themselves in mirrors. Our species may be the only one that thinks about what others are thinking about.

Consciousness: Humans are a thinking and self reflective species. We are likely the only species to realize the moon revolves about earth, both revolve about the sun, and all three are spherical. In fact, we humans have not know that for most of our existence, we only figured that out recently. As humans we are conscious of both ourselves and others. We recognize that we are conscious of at least some of our thoughts and behaviors. We understand that others have minds that are thinking similar to us and we think about their thoughts.
 
Language:  Members of a species often exhibit cooperative behavior. Body posture and vocalizations are biological mechanisms used by individuals to communicate future acts and coordinate behavior.  Language allows for the transfer of more detailed information than the other methods and plays a key role in coordinating human interaction.

Technology:  Several species have learned to extend their biological givens by using tools. No species have created and used tools like humans. Clothing and buildings extend our skin. Walking sticks, bicycles and space ship extend our legs. Fire and microwaves enhance our digestive tracks. Drawings, writing, the abacus, and now computers have enhanced our biological brain.

Social Organization:  Humans form hierarchal groups like families, governments, companies, and clubs. An individual's status and well being are largely dependent on her/his place in an organizations' hierarchy.

The Nature Nurture Debate:  Human social systems are a mix of two type of information often referred to as nature - nurture or biology - culture. Recently some have suggested we use memes and genes because this puts the focus on information and its delivery systems. The genetic code we inherited turned us into Homo sapiens rather than mice. It determines numerous body characteristics like size and shape. The color of ones hair, eyes, and skin are genetically determined. Genetics shapes our personality.

As conscious organisms, human behavior is also influenced by ideas. Memes are ideas that can be passed from one person to another. Memes can include scientific theories, religious doctrine, tips on fashion and racial attitudes. Genetic information is transferred through sex and genes which are composed of a four character genetic code. Memes or beliefs are transferred by
memes through socialization, including speech and later its extension, written language. Just as the number of possible words are infinite, the number of possible memes are infinite.

Human behavior is a combination of genes and memes. Genetics determines what types of food we can digest and how much we must eat to survive. Our memes, or beliefs, determine whether we eat cows, pigs, dogs, snakes or possibly no meat products of any kind. Most, if not all of our behavior, is a combination of genetic and social information.

As information systems, genes and memes have common characteristics. There are, however, important differences we should keep in mind.

Similarities between genes and memes include:

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Survival of both genes and memes depends in part on the survival of the organisms carrying the information.

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The environment plays a role in selection and survival of genes and memes.

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Both genes and memes produce behavior.

Differences between genes and memes include:

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Genetic information is stored by DNA. Memes are stored in brains and externally as symbols.

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Genes are transferred from one individual to another by sex. Memes are transferred through conversation, dance, song, art, writing and artifacts.

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Individuals can transfer their genes only to new individuals they create (i.e., offspring). Memes can be transferred to from younger generations to older ones and to non-family.

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Transferred genes are selected randomly. Conscious choices influence (not necessarily rationally) which memes get transferred.

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Individuals cannot add to or alter their genetic information. Individuals can add to and modify their memes.

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Unique genetic information is created by mutations that alter DNA sequences; unique ideas are created by reorganizing the way we think.

For more on memes and genes see:

    Lynch, Aaron. 1996. Thought Contagion: How Beliefs Spread Through Society. BasicBooks.
    Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. 1994. "Memes verses Genes: Notes from Culture Wars," in Changing the World: A
    Framework for the Study of Creativity. Westport, Connecticut:Praeger Publishers.