1. Organization:
- Living things: Living organisms are highly organized entities with complex structures and specialized cells. They consist of various levels of organization, including cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.
- Nonliving things: Nonliving objects lack internal organization. They may have physical structures, but they are not composed of cells or have a hierarchical organization.
2. Metabolism:
- Living things: Living organisms exhibit metabolism, the sum of chemical reactions that occur within them to maintain their living state. Metabolism includes processes like respiration, digestion, and photosynthesis.
- Nonliving things: Nonliving things do not possess metabolism. They do not undergo chemical reactions that convert energy or produce waste products.
3. Growth and Reproduction:
- Living things: Living organisms grow by increasing their size and complexity. They reproduce to create offspring, ensuring the continuity of their species. Reproduction can be sexual or asexual.
- Nonliving things: Nonliving objects do not grow or reproduce. They do not possess the capacity to generate new individuals or increase in size over time.
4. Response to Stimuli:
- Living things: Living organisms respond to stimuli or changes in their environment. This includes reactions to light, temperature, touch, chemicals, and other external cues.
- Nonliving things: Nonliving objects do not respond to stimuli. They lack the ability to sense, perceive, or react to environmental changes.
5. Homeostasis:
- Living things: Living organisms maintain internal balance or homeostasis. They regulate various physiological processes, such as body temperature, pH levels, and blood pressure, within a narrow range.
- Nonliving things: Nonliving objects do not exhibit homeostasis. Their physical properties and states are not actively regulated or maintained.
6. Adaptation and Evolution:
- Living things: Living organisms adapt to their environments through evolutionary processes. They develop beneficial traits over generations that enhance their survival and reproductive success.
- Nonliving things: Nonliving objects do not adapt or evolve. They do not possess genetic material or undergo genetic changes based on environmental pressures.
7. Energy Utilization:
- Living things: Living organisms acquire and utilize energy to carry out various life processes, including metabolism, movement, and reproduction.
- Nonliving things: Nonliving objects do not require or use energy for sustaining themselves. They do not have energy-consuming processes.
8. Complexity:
- Living things: Living organisms exhibit intricate complexity, both in their structures and functions. They have specialized cells, organs, and systems that work together harmoniously.
- Nonliving things: Nonliving objects are typically less complex in structure and function. They may have physical components, but they lack the intricate interconnections and coordination found in living systems.
These distinctions between living and nonliving things provide a fundamental understanding of the characteristics and processes that define life.