Living things are things that can breathe, feel, grow, move, and give birth to young ones. They can be categorized into three groups: plants, animals, and humans. Living things have basic needs such as air, water, food, and shelter that are met from the environment. They also display the following characteristics:
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Living things can move. They show movement by moving parts of their body. For example, a horse runs from one place to another, birds fly, and fishes swim. Plants do not move from one place to other but show movement by moving their part. For example, leaves bend towards the direction of sunlight.
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Living things grow. They increase in size and develop new features as they age.
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Living things produce new organisms. Some give birth to their young ones while some lay eggs. Plants have seeds and these seeds turn into new plants.
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Living things need food and water to survive and stay healthy. They obtain energy from food to carry out their life processes.
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Living things have senses. They react to the changes in their surroundings. For example, an animal sees, smells, tastes, hears, and feels.
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Living things die. All living things grow old and die.
Non-living things, on the other hand, are things that are not alive. They do not move, grow, breathe, or reproduce. Examples of non-living things include rocks, water, and buckets.
