The world is made up of many different things. Some of the things are living and others are non-living. A dog, swing set, car, tree, flowers, and a book are some of the things that make up the world.
There are two different kinds of things in the world.
- One kind is called living things. Living things eat, breathe, grow, move, reproduce and have senses.
- The other kind is called nonliving things. Nonliving things do not eat, breathe, grow, move and reproduce. They do not have senses.
Living things
Living things are the organism, that is alive. They are made up of a small unit of the structure known as cells, which form tissues. Different tissues, in turn, combine to form organs and when all these organs function together as an integrated unit, called as an organ system, which functions in something that has a life. They are human beings, plants, insects, birds, animals, fungi, bacteria, algae, protozoa, etc. There are some traits which are common in all living things, which are:
- Move on their own.
- Grow and develop, with time.
- Respire to release energy.
- Require nutrition
- Excrete to eliminate waste.
- Reproduce to give birth to the new organism.
- Respond to the external environment.
- Adapt themselves to the changing conditions.
Non-Living things
Non-living things such as a bottle, pen, chair, door, computer, mobiles, etc. are the ones who are not alive. On the other hand, non-living things are not made up of cells.
Non-living things refer to those things, which are not alive, i.e. the characteristic of life is absent, in them. They do not show any trait of life, such as Reproduction, growth and development, respiration, metabolism, adaptation, responsiveness, movement, etc. They are created or produced from non-living materials, such as wood, plastic, iron, metals, leather, cotton, etc.
Difference between Living and Non-Living things-
In this article excerpt we are going to shed light on the major differences between living and non-living things, have a look.
BASIS FOR COMPARISON |
LIVING THINGS |
NON-LIVING THINGS |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Living things are the creatures that are alive and compose of tiny particles, i.e. cells. | Non-living things refer to those objects or items, that do not exhibit any sign of life. |
| Example |  |
 |
| Organization | Highly organized | No such organization |
| Consciousness | They sense things and react to external stimulus. | Non-living things do not sense things. |
| Homeostasis | Maintain a stable internal environment to make cells function. | Do not maintain a stable internal environment. |
| Metabolism | Reaction like anabolism and catabolism occurs. | No metabolic changes occur in non-living things. |
| Growth | All living things undergo a regulated growth. | Non-living things do not grow. |
| Evolution | Living things go through an evolution. | Non-living things do not undergo evolution. |
| Survival | Depends on food, water and air for survival. | Does not depend on anything for survival. |
| Life-span | Have a certain lifespan, after which they die. | There is no such thing as lifespan. |
Recap
- All things we see are living or non-living things.
- Anything live is a living thing.
- Anything which is not alive is a non-living thing.
- A living thing can move, breathe, reproduce, eat, grow, sense and excrete.
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