Meilien Lam 7I

LIVING THINGS

Living and Non-living Things

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What is the difference?Let us think about it for some time…what is the difference? How

do you know if an object is living or not? Well, all living things Reproduce, Grow, Respond, Move, Take in Nutrition/Energy and Excrete. If it doesn’t have any of these features, then it is a non-living object. Despite that, non-living things also have some of these features, like salt crystals. They grow when salt water evaporates. Also, some living things don’t have all these features. Example, trees cannot move.

ReproductionWhat is reproduction?

Reproduction is when organisms, that reached adulthood, give birth and produce fresh individuals like themselves. Animals give birth to live offspring or eggs. Plants don’t follow this process. Instead, plants are

reproduced by seeds, spores, cuttings, runners or by budding. Some organisms reproduce by splitting themselves in half. This is called asexual.

Growth

What is growth?Growth is when we get bigger and taller, in other words, an

increase in size. Example, plants and trees start off as seedlings, then grow roots and leaves. After that, it starts getting bigger and more vibrant. We are also an example. We humans start of as babies and then go through childhood and later on, adulthood. After we, and many other animals, reach adulthood our growth starts to slow down and, finally, stop growing.

Respond

What is response?Response is the reaction to a surrounding or environment like

how lizards and snakes lie on warm rocks and bathe in the sun’s rays. Or how a pot plant inside grows in the direction of the sunlight. This is response. With response, there comes stimuli, or changes in the surrounding or environment. Example, when you are having a warm shower and suddenly cold water comes out. When a living thing discovers a stimulus, it responds to it. Stimuli vary from movement and odour (smell) to temperatures and pressure (touch).

Movement

What is movement?Movement is when a living thing performs actions, motions or

activities. We need movement to make ourselves fit and healthy. Other animals need movement to catch their prey or run away from their predator. Examples of movement is a cheetah hiding in the blades of long grass, waiting for the right time to strike. Another example is dolphins leaping and jumping in the air. Movement is an essential to life as it keeps our heart moving and our muscles alive.

Taking in Nutrition/Energy

What is taking in nutrition/energy?We, and many other animals, need energy or nutrition to do any of

the above. We take in materials that contain the energy to, example, breathe, eat or drink. We either take in oxygen or food and liquids. Water is an major essential to us because it moves substances in and out of our body and to allow chemical reactions to happen in our body cells. After digestion, we absorb the nutrients and energy in the substance. Plants and trees need sunlight, water and, instead of oxygen, carbon dioxide. It takes the sunlight via its leaves and water through its roots. Plants and trees, with carbon dioxide, water and sunlight, make their own food. This is called photosynthesis. Other organisms take in food by wrapping itself around the substance and absorbing it.

Excretion

What is excretion?Excretion is the process of getting rid of waste in your body. If

these waste builds up in your body, it will become poisonous. We excrete carbon dioxide in exchange of oxygen. We also excrete salts and water (or sweat) from our skin. Most of our liquid waste is in our urine. Bigger foods that aren’t digested are excreted as faeces.

Thank you!

BY: Meilien Lam 7I