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IntroductionWe can find many things around us, from mountains and oceans to plants and animals. The earth in which we live is made up of several things. These “things” can be categorized into two different types – Living and Non-living Things.
Living things have “life,” though some might not show its evident signs. For instance, a tree would probably not react the same way a human would. It would not react when we hit it, and it might not be able to walk around. Though the signs of life displayed by them are not very observable, it does not make them non-living. Let us have a detailed look at the important characteristics of living and non-living things and the difference between the two. Living things exist and are alive and are made of microscopic structures called cells. They grow and exhibit movement or locomotion. They experience metabolism, which includes anabolic and catabolic reactions. Living things are capable of producing a new life which is of their own kind through the process of reproduction. Living things have a particular life span and are not immortal. Cellular Respiration enables living organisms to acquire energy which is used by cells to perform their functions. They digest food for energy and also excrete waste from the body. Their life cycle can be summarised as follows – birth, growth, reproduction and death. Examples of living things are animals, birds, insects, and human beings. Also Read: Living things Characteristics of Living ThingsCharacteristics of Living Things Following are the important characteristics of living things:
Also Read: Characteristics Of Organisms Non-living thingsNon-living things are not alive. They do not possess life. They do not have cells and do not grow or show locomotion/movement. They do not undergo metabolism with anabolic and catabolic reactions. They do not reproduce. Non-living things do not have a life span. They do not respire as they do not require food for energy and hence do not excrete. They do not fall into any cycle of birth, growth or death. They are created and destroyed by external forces. Examples of non-living things include stones, pens, books, cycles, bottles, etc. Characteristics Of Non-living ThingsThe important characteristics of non-living things are mentioned below:
Difference between living and non-living thingsHere are some of the major differences between living and non-living things:
Criteria for differentiating living things from non-living thingsFor easy differentiation between living things and non-living things, scientists have come up with traits or characteristics that are unique to them. The criterion for classification is necessary to avoid the wrong grouping. Hence, science developed a basis for classification. Anything that has life is considered a living being. For example– humans, trees, dogs, etc. Things which have no life in them are considered non-living. For example– stone, mountain, watch, etc. Scientists have discovered a few criteria for differentiating living things from non-living things. Here are some of them:
If something obeys a few of the rules, it cannot be categorized as a living thing. It has to follow all the given rules stringently. For example, an icicle, although it grows (increases its mass or length), is still a non-living thing since it cannot reproduce or respond to stimuli. Non-living things do not have any of the life processes, unlike living beings. Also Read: What is Living Learn more about living things, non-living things, characteristics of living and non-living things and the difference between living and non-living things at BYJU’S Biology How nonThe living things in an ecosystem are interdependent. This means that living things depend on their interactions with each other and with nonliving things for survival. For example, a tree depends on sunlight for energy to make its own food and a snail depends on the tree for food.
What nonIn ecology, non-living things are one of the constituents of the abiotic components (abiotic factors) of the environment, such as soil and atmosphere. They affect the living things in terms of their growth, reproduction, and maintenance. The living things, in turn, are called the biotic components or biotic factors.
How does the nonAnswer: Living organisms cannot exist without the nonliving aspects of the environment. For example: air, water, and sunlight, which are all nonliving, are all essential to living organisms. Both nonliving and living things make up an ecosystem.
What are the nonThe non-living parts of the ecosystem are called abiotic factors. All living things need non- living things to survive. Some of these abiotic factors include water, minerals, sunlight, air, climate, and soil.
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