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Characteristics of organisms are the factors that help to determine the living or non-living status of an entity. It is often confusing whether an entity should be called living or non-living by merely looking at it. To avoid such confusion, take into consideration the characteristics of organisms mentioned in this article. These characteristics of organisms will solve all the doubts about living and non-living organisms.
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Characteristics Of Organisms
It is not easy to determine whether an entity is living or non-living. A vehicle moves from one place to another but that does not make it a living organism. Plants do not move from one place to another which does not mean they are non-living. Many such factors are often confusing when it comes to categorizing entities as living and non-living. But having knowledge about the right characteristics helps to classify them. Listed below are all the characteristics of organisms.
Characteristics of Living Organisms
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Nutrition
Every living organism requires food to survive. Food provides them with all the necessary nutrients that are required for the smooth functioning of life processes. Plants make their own food with the help of sunlight. The process through which plants make their food is called photosynthesis.
Animals depend on other animals and plants for their food. Animals and humans cannot prepare their own food. Humans depend on plants and animals to provide them with a source of food. Without proper food, no living organism can survive for long. So any entity that requires food is a living organism. Non-living things do not require food.
Food Chain
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Growth
Growth is the process of getting bigger in size and changing the appearance of living things. Some living things do not show noticeable signs of growth. But on closer look, changes in organisms can be detected over time.
Seeds grow into saplings and saplings into plants. Baby animals grow into adults. Human babies grow from their birth till death. Growth does not necessarily have to be of the body. Growth of hair or antenna is also considered as growth. So any entity that shows growth is a living organism. Non-living things do not show growth.
Frog Growth cycle
Respiration
Respiration is the process of breathing in and breathing out. Plants have different respiratory systems than humans and animals. Plants respire through their stems and leaves. In the presence of sunlight, plants breathe in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen.
Process of Respiration
Animals and humans breathe in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide. Most animals breathe through their noses. But certain species have unique respiratory systems. For example, fishes breathe through their gills and earthworms through their skin. Any entity that breathes is a living organism. Non-living things do not breathe.
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Response To Stimuli
The process of responding to certain changes in our surroundings is termed as a response to stimuli. Every organism has different kinds of responses to stimuli. Some plants like touch-me-not close their leaves on changes in their surroundings.
Response to Stimuli
Animals such as cats jump and run away in response to unknown stimuli. Humans react differently to sudden changes in their environment. Non-living things do not make any such response to stimuli.
Excretion
It is known that all living organisms eat food. All of this food is not used to provide energy for the regular life processes. Some part of this food is separated as waste. This waste cannot be accumulated in the body. In case of accumulation of waste in the body, that organism bears the risk of serious infection. In order to avoid that, all living organisms excrete this waste. Excretion is one of the most important characteristics of organisms. Since non-living things do not eat any food, there is no question of excretion.
Excretory system in Earthworms
Reproduction
Reproduction is the process of producing offspring(s). All living organisms reproduce with the aim of preventing the extinction of their species. Reproduction can be sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction.
Reproduction in Plants
Not all living organisms require a mate for reproduction. Some living organisms directly give birth to their young ones while others lay eggs. These eggs hatch when the young ones are mature enough. In the case of plants, reproduction can happen by pollination. Non-living things do not reproduce.
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Movement
Movement is one of the trickiest characteristics of organisms. Vehicles move from one place to another. So one might get tempted to place them under living organisms. But that is not right. Having just one of the characteristics of organisms does not make an entity living. It should possess all characteristics of organisms to be categorized as living organisms.
Movement of animals
Movement is observed in all living organisms. Plants do not move from one place to another but they can move their leaves, stems, and roots in the direction of sunlight and water. Animals and humans can walk and run. Even though some non-living things have the ability to move it does not mean they are living organisms.
Predator Adaptation
Living organisms have developed a sense where they can detect predators around them. This sense helps and guides them in case of attacks. Predator adaptation enables animals and humans to take appropriate actions to protect themselves from danger. This ability to sense the presence of predators around and act accordingly cannot be developed by non-living things.
Predator and Prey
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Things to Remember
- Living organisms require food, nutrition, respiration, and predator adaptation to survive.
- Living organisms can show growth, response to stimuli, excretion, reproduction, and movement.
- Non-living things cannot eat food, excrete or respire.
- Non-living things do not grow, reproduce or respond to external stimuli.
- Living organisms possess the characteristics of Nutrition, Growth, Respiration, Response To Stimuli, Excretion, Reproduction, Movement, Predator Adaptation
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Sample Questions
Ques. What are the characteristics of organisms? Explain one of them in brief. [3 Marks]
Ans. The characteristics of organisms are Nutrition, Growth, Respiration, Response To Stimuli, Excretion, Reproduction, Movement, and Predator Adaptation.
Nutrition: Every living organism requires food to survive. Food provides them with all the necessary nutrients that are required for the smooth functioning of life processes. Plants make their own food with the help of sunlight. The process through which plants make their food is called photosynthesis. Animals depend on other animals and plants for their food. Animals and humans cannot prepare their own food. Humans depend on plants and animals to provide them with a source of food. Without proper food, no living organism can survive for long. So any entity that requires food is a living organism. Non-living things do not require food.
Ques. What are the different types of habitats of living organisms? [3 Marks]
Ans. Living things have two types of habitats viz. terrestrial habitats and aquatic habitats.
Terrestrial habitats: Terrestrial habitats are habitats that include land. Habitats such as coastal regions, forests, mountains, grasslands, deserts, etc come under terrestrial habitats. Several living organisms live in terrestrial habitats. Some examples are lions, dogs, giraffes, monkeys, etc. Plants too live in terrestrial habitats.
Aquatic habitats: Aquatic habitats are habitats that include water. Habitats such as ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans, etc come under aquatic habitats. Many plants live in aquatic habitats. Plants living in aquatic habitats are called aquatic plants. Few animals such as fishes, frogs, salamanders, snakes, etc live in aquatic habitats.
Ques. Give reason: If cars can move then why are they not categorized as living organisms? [3 Marks]
Ans. Cars can move from one place to another. They possess movement characteristics. But the movement is the only characteristic of organisms that a car possesses. Besides that, it does not possess any characteristics of organisms. We all know that for an entity to be categorized as a living organism it should possess all the characteristics of organisms. Since a car possesses only one of the characteristics of organisms it cannot be categorized as a living organism. Thus, a car is a non-living thing.
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Ques. What are the different components of habitats of living organisms? Give examples of each type of component. [3 Marks]
Ans. Habitats of living organisms contain two types of components viz. biotic components and abiotic components. Biotic components are the living components and Abiotic components are the non-living components. Every habitat has a mixture of biotic and abiotic components.
Examples of biotic components are animals and plants. Examples of abiotic components are air, water, soil, etc.
Ques. If an entity shows growth and movement, then is it a living organism? Give a reason with an example. [3 Marks]
Ans. For an entity to be classified as a living organism it should possess all the characteristics of organisms. Having one characteristic and not the other does not make an entity a living organism. So if an entity shows only growth and movement and no other characteristics of organisms then it is not a living organism. This can be explained with the example of orbeez. When kept in water or moist atmosphere orbeez grow in size by absorbing water from their surrounding. These orbeez can also move slightly due to the force applied by air. Thus, you observe growth and movement in orbeez. But we all know orbeez are not living organisms. This is because they do not have any other characteristics of living organisms such as reproduction, excretion, respiration, etc.
Ques. Why is it important to classify living organisms from non-living things? [3 Marks]
Ans. Classification of entities is done in two types: living and non-living. This classification is done to study the evolution of living organisms. Simple organisms are developed into complex organisms. But this does not happen in the case of non-living things. The classification between living and non-living entities helps to determine which entities should not be considered in the study of the evolution of organisms. It would have made things complex for the study of evolution if this classification was not done. That is why it is important to classify living organisms from non-living things.
Ques. Why do all living organisms reproduce? What will happen if they do not reproduce? [3 Marks]
Ans. Reproduction is an important characteristic of organisms. All living organisms have the ability to reproduce. Reproduction is done to create offspring. This is important for the survival of the species. If a particular species does not reproduce it will eventually get extinct. Several factors such as harsh environments, old age, predation, accidents, diseases, etc lead to the death of almost all species. In such cases, if a species does not reproduce their family line will come to an end. Hence, for the survival of species, it is important for living organisms to reproduce.
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Ques. Why living organisms cannot survive without proper food? [3 Marks]
Ans. All living organisms require food. Food is the source of nutrition for living organisms. Nutrition is necessary to carry out all the biological processes in their bodies. This includes digestion, excretion, respiration, reproduction, blood circulation, etc. For all these processes to run smoothly proper food intake is necessary. Eating food also helps to generate energy in living organisms. Energy is required to regulate the body temperature so that organisms do not die due to extreme environmental conditions. That is why living organisms require food to survive.
Ques. How are camels adapted to live in a desert? [3 Marks]
Ans:
- The feet of the camels have thick, flat, large soles which help them in the movement on the sand.
- They can live without water for a long time. When water is available, it drinks a large amount of water at a time.
- They release very little urine to prevent loss of water.
- Their dung is also dry which also helps to prevent loss of water.
- The long legs of the camel help to keep the body away from the heat of the sand.
Ques. Write the features of desert plants. [3 Marks]
Ans:
- The leaves in desert plants are either absent or very small.
- Leaves are converted into spines which help to reduce loss of water.
- The stems become thick, flat and green which help in photosynthesis.
- The stem is covered with a waxy layer which helps to retain water. In some plants, the stem is spongy and stores water.
- The roots go very deep in the soil to absorb water.
Ques. Explain the adaptation of plants to live in water. [3 Marks]
Ans:
- Roots are reduced in size which holds the plant.
- Stems are long, hollow and light.
- Stems grow up to the surface of the water.
- Leaves and flowers float on the surface of the water.
- The leaves are covered by the waxy layer which protects the leaves from excessive water.
Ques. What kind of movement do we see in plants? [3 Marks]
Ans:
- Opening and closing of a flower.
- Growth of a stem and leaves.
- Movement of water, minerals and food from one part of the plant to another.
- Movement of the stem towards sunlight and root towards the water in the soil.
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