Living vs. Non-Living Things

What Makes Something Alive?#

Look around you. You might see a dog running, a flower blooming, a rock sitting still, and a toy on a shelf. Some of these things are living and some are non-living. How do we tell the difference? Scientists have found a list of things that all living things do. Let's learn what they are!

Living Things Grow#

All living things grow and change over time. A tiny seed grows into a tall sunflower. A baby kitten grows into a big cat. A human baby grows into a child, then an adult. Growth is one of the clearest signs of life.

Living Things Need Food and Water#

All living things need energy to survive, and they get that energy from food. Plants make their own food using sunlight. Animals eat plants or other animals. People eat a mix of foods. Every living thing also needs water — water helps bodies work the way they should.

Living Things Breathe#

All living things take in air. Animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants do the opposite — they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Even tiny living things too small to see, like bacteria, need air to survive.

Living Things Respond#

Living things react to what happens around them. If you shine a light on a plant, it will grow toward the light. If you touch a snail, it will pull into its shell. If you feel cold, you put on a coat. Reacting to your environment is a sign of life.

Living Things Reproduce#

All living things can make more of themselves. Plants make seeds. Animals have babies. This is how living things ensure that their kind continues on Earth.

Summary#

For something to be alive, it must:

1. Grow and change
2. Need food and water
3. Breathe
4. Respond to the world around it
5. Be able to reproduce

Let's look at some examples and practice deciding what is living and what is not!