What is the Difference Between Living Things and Non-living Things?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between living and non-living things lies in their ability to exhibit life processes. Here are some key differences between the two:
Living Things:
- Possess life
- Breathe, eat, grow, move, reproduce, and have senses
- Depend on water, air, and food for survival
- Sensitive and responsive to stimuli
- Can grow and reproduce
- Have a life span and undergo cycles of birth, growth, and death
Non-living Things:
- Do not possess life
- Do not eat, grow, breathe, move, or reproduce
- Do not have senses
- Do not require food for energy and do not excrete
- Do not fall into any cycle of birth, growth, or death
Examples of living things include plants, animals, and humans, while non-living things can be categorized into natural things (e.g., rivers, oceans, mountains, hills, planets, and stars) and man-made things (e.g., tables, chairs, gadgets, cars, and clothes).
Comparative Table: Living Things vs Non-living Things
Here is a table comparing the differences between living things and non-living things:
Characteristic | Living Things | Non-living Things |
---|---|---|
Life | Possess life | Do not possess life |
Nutrition | Require food and water | No such requirements |
Reproduction | Can reproduce | Do not reproduce |
Sensitivity | Respond to stimuli, sensitive | Do not respond to stimuli, not sensitive |
Growth and Development | Experience growth and development | No growth or development |
Metabolism | Perform metabolic activities | Cannot perform metabolic activities |
Homeostasis | Maintain internal stability | No homeostasis |
Breathing | Breathe | Do not breathe |
Living things, such as plants, animals, and humans, possess characteristics like growth, reproduction, and the ability to respond to their environment. They require food and water for survival and can adapt to their environment. On the other hand, non-living things, like rocks, water, and chairs, lack these attributes. They do not grow, move, eat, or reproduce, and they do not have the characteristics of living organisms.
- Alive vs Living
- Plants vs Animals
- Life vs Live
- Life vs Death
- Living vs Existing
- Metals vs Non-metals
- Live vs Alive
- Metals vs Nonmetals
- Biodegradable vs Non-Biodegradable
- Birds vs Animals
- Vertebrates vs Invertebrates
- Animal vs Human
- Mammals vs Animals
- Energy vs Matter
- Biotic vs Abiotic
- Flowering vs Nonflowering Plants
- Plant vs Animal Cells
- Algae vs Plants
- Organic vs Non Organic Food