1. Cellular Structure:
* Living things: Composed of one or more cells, the basic unit of life. These cells have complex internal structures and carry out essential life processes.
* Non-living things: Lack cells and the complex internal organization they provide.
2. Metabolism:
* Living things: Engage in a constant flow of chemical reactions (metabolism) to obtain energy, build and break down molecules, and maintain life.
* Non-living things: Do not exhibit metabolism; they don't use energy or transform matter in the same way.
3. Growth and Development:
* Living things: Grow and develop over time, changing in size and complexity.
* Non-living things: May increase in size (like a crystal), but this is not true growth as seen in living things.
4. Reproduction:
* Living things: Reproduce, creating new individuals similar to themselves.
* Non-living things: Cannot reproduce on their own.
5. Response to Stimuli:
* Living things: Respond to changes in their environment (light, temperature, chemicals, etc.).
* Non-living things: May react to stimuli (like a rock expanding in heat), but these reactions are not the result of internal processes like in living things.
6. Adaptation and Evolution:
* Living things: Have the ability to adapt to their environment over generations through evolution.
* Non-living things: Do not evolve or change in response to environmental pressures in the way living things do.
7. Homeostasis:
* Living things: Maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in their surroundings (regulation of temperature, pH, water balance, etc.).
* Non-living things: Do not regulate their internal environment.
In Summary: Living things are characterized by their complex cellular organization, active metabolism, growth and development, reproduction, responsiveness to stimuli, adaptation and evolution, and the ability to maintain a stable internal environment. Rocks, on the other hand, lack these defining features of life.
