Monday, October 13, 2008

Living and Non-living Things

We are surrounded by living and non-living things. All animals and plants are living things and biology is the study of these living things. A cat playing with a ball is obviously living. A pigeon flying from tree to tree is also a living thing.

Sometimes it is not so easy to decide. Plants are living things but they do not play with balls or fly. If something is living it will carry out all of the seven activities shown opposite.


The Seven Characteristics of Living Things

1.Feeding All living organisms need to take substances from their environment to obtain energy, to grow and to stay healthy.
2.Movement
All living organisms show movement of one kind or another. All living organisms have internal movement, which means that they have the ability of moving substances from one part of their body to another. Some living organisms show external movement as well - they can move from place to place by walking, flying or swimming.
3.Breathing or Respiration
All living things exchange gases with their environment. Animals take in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.
4.Excretion
Excretion is the removal of waste from the body. If this waste was allowed to remain in the body it could be poisonous. Humans produce a liquid waste called urine. We also excrete waste when we breathe out. All living things need to remove waste from their bodies.
5.Growth
When living things feed they gain energy. Some of this energy is used in growth. Living things become larger and more complicated as they grow.
6.Sensitivity
Living things react to changes around them. We react to touch, light, heat, cold and sound, as do other living things.
7.Reproduction
All living things produce young. Humans make babies, cats produce kittens and pigeons lay eggs. Plants also reproduce. Many make seeds which can germinate and grow into new plants.

Lets see how much we know about living and non living things now! Watch play and work on these clips to help you learn more about living and non-living things!

Now that you have some background knowledge of living and non-living things lets find out how much you really know! Take this fun quiz!

Lets have some fun with this now....can you sort out the living from the non-living?

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