In some sense, the Mars Science Laboratory rover's parts are similar to what any living creature would need to keep it "alive" and able to explore.

The rover has a:

Body	a structure that protects the rovers' "vital organs"
Brains	computers to process information
Eyes and other "senses"	cameras and instruments that give the rover information about its environment
Arm and "hand"	a way to extend its reach and collect rock samples for study
Wheels and "legs"	parts for mobility
Energy	batteries and power
Communications	antennas for "speaking" and "listening"
Temperature controls	internal heaters, a layer of insulation, and more
"Neck and head"	a mast for the cameras to give the rover a human-scale view

Fast Facts

Mission name	Mars Science Laboratory
Rover name	Curiosity
Size	About the size of a small SUV — 10 feet long (not including the arm), 9 feet wide and 7 feet tall — (about 3 meters long (not including the arm), 2.7 meters wide, and 2.2 meters tall), or about the height of a basketball player.
Arm reach	About 7 feet (2.2 meters)
Mass/Weight	899 kg (1,982 lbs in Earth gravity; 743 lbs in Mars gravity)
Features	Geology lab, rocker-bogie suspension, rock-vaporizing laser and lots of cameras
Mission	To search areas of Mars for past or present conditions favorable for life, and conditions capable of preserving a record of life
Launched	7:02 a.m. PST, Nov. 26, 2011 (10:02 a.m. EST)
Landed	10:32 p.m. PDT, Aug. 5, 2012 (1:32 a.m. EDT, Aug. 6, 2012)
Length of mission on Mars	The prime mission lasted one Mars year or about 23 Earth months, and Curiosity continues to operate on Mars today.
Mission Fact sheet	Download the Mars Science Laboratory Fact Sheet (PDF, 1.44 MB)