Difference Between Living And Non-Living Things

All the things which you notice around you divide into living and non-living. In other words, life is the only characteristic bifurcating the two. Thus, you will learn that living things are plants, animals, birds, microorganisms, and more. What makes them similar is the presence of life. Thus, it refers to everything that has life. On the other hand, non-living things are ones that do not have life. For instance, table, chair, pen, computer, phone, and more. Non-living things are not composed of cells whereas living things are. Thus, this article will help you in learning the difference between living and non-living things.

Definition of Living Things

Living things refer to organisms that are alive. The small units of a structure called cells form tissues that make up these organisms. Thus, these issues, in turn, blend for forming organs, and all the organs work together as an integrated unit which we refer to as an organ system. Hence, all human beings, animals, birds, plants, insects, bacteria, and more are living things. All these living things have common traits in them, firstly, they are able to move on their own. Secondly, they keep growing and developing with time. In addition, they release energy through respiration and require nutrition. Moreover, they also excrete, reproduce, and adapt in order to survive.

Definition of Non-Living Things

Non-living things are those which are not alive. In order to understand the difference between living and non-living things, we must take a look at their definitions. Thus, you see the common thing in all non-living things is the absence of life. In other words, you will not find any trait of life in them. For instance, growth, development, adaptation, reproduction, movement, metabolism and more are not found in these things. In addition, non-living materials make up these things. Examples of non-living things include iron, cotton, wool, leather, plastic, metals, and more.

Difference between Living And Non-Living Things

Basis of Comparison	Living Things	Non-Living Things
Meaning	They are creatures which are alive and comprise of tiny particles called cells	They are objects or items that do not display any sign of life and are made of non-living material
Growth	They undergo  a regulated growth	These do not grow
Organization	Highly organized	No organization
Metabolism	Anabolism and catabolism takes place	No metabolic changes take place
Consciousness	They can sense things and react to the external stimulus	They cannot sense anything
Evolution	They undergo evolution	They do not go through an evolution
Homeostasis	Maintain a stable internal environment	Do not maintain a stable internal environment
Survival	Dependant on food, water and air	Not dependant on anything
Movement	Can move from one place to another	Cannot move from one place to another
Lifespan	Not immortal, have a fixed lifespan	Immortal, do not have a lifespan
Example	Humans, animals, plants	Table, mobile phone, buildings

More details about Living Things

All living things display locomotory motion, i.e. they move. Some have special locomotory organs for that. Similarly, plants respond to the movement of the sun. In addition, all living things respire to release energy from the food.

Moreover, they are sensitive to touch and possess the capability to sense changes in the environment. Over time, they grow and develop. Most importantly, they can reproduce their offsprings and increase their population.

More details about Non-Living Things

Non-living things do not possess life. Neither do they have cells or exhibit any locomotion. Similarly, they will not go through metabolism with any reaction. Moreover, they do not reproduce as well.

In addition, they are immortal with no life span. You will notice they do not respire or need any food for energy and also do not excrete. Thus, they are free from the cycle of birth, growth and death. The external forces create and destroy them.

 FAQs about Living And Non-Living Things

Question 1: Give one difference between living and non-living things.

Answer 1: The major difference between living and non-living things is that the former possess life and the latter does not.

Question 2: State two characteristics of living things.

Answer 2: Living things can grow and develop. In addition, they can also obtain and use energy.