* It carries out life processes: Leaves perform photosynthesis, producing food for the plant, and respiration, using that food for energy. They also transpire, releasing water vapor.
* It has cells: Leaves are made up of many specialized cells working together.
* It grows and changes: Leaves grow from a bud and develop throughout their life cycle. They eventually die and fall off the plant.
However, once a leaf falls from a plant, it is considered non-living. It no longer carries out the life processes that define a living thing.
