Difference Between Living and Non-Living Things – General Science
| Feature | Living Things | Non-Living Things |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Growth | Grow with age (e.g., a tree grows taller) | Do not grow (e.g., a rock stays the same size) |
| 2. Metabolism | Perform metabolism (e.g., humans digest food) | No metabolism (e.g., a chair) |
| 3. Reproduction | Reproduce (e.g., a dog gives birth) | Cannot reproduce (e.g., a mobile phone) |
| 4. Response to Stimuli | Respond to light, sound, touch (e.g., a touch-me-not plant closes when touched) | Do not respond (e.g., a pen stays still) |
| 5. Movement | Can move on their own (e.g., a bird flies) | Do not move without external force (e.g., a book) |
| 6. Respiration | Breathe or respire (e.g., a human breathes oxygen) | No respiration (e.g., a table) |
| 7. Lifespan | Have a birth and death (e.g., a butterfly lives for a few days) | No lifespan (e.g., a stone can exist forever) |
| 8. Cellular Structure | Made of cells (e.g., a fish is made of living cells) | No cells (e.g., a plastic bottle) |
| 9. Adaptation | Adapt to surroundings over generations (e.g., camels in deserts) | No adaptation (e.g., a bicycle) |
| 10. Excretion | Remove waste (e.g., humans urinate/sweat) | Do not excrete (e.g., a computer) |
One-Line Summary:
Living things show life processes like growth, reproduction, respiration, and response to stimuli.
Non-living things lack these features and do not show life processes.
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