Characteristics of Living Things

All living things whether plants or animals show the characteristics below:

1. Cellular Structure: All living things have a cellular structure. All living things are made up of one or more cells.

2. Movement:  This is an activity by an organism which causes a change in position. Most single-celled organisms and animals move from one place to another with the aid of their locomotory organs. Fungi and plants show limited movements with parts of their body. 

3. Respiration: This is the oxidation of food substances such as glucose in cells to release energyEnergy is the ability to do work. Energy exists in several forms such as heat, kinetic or mechanical energy, light, potential energy, and electrical energy. Units of Energy: The SI unit... More

4. Nutrition: This refers to the taking in, digesting, absorbing, and utilizing food in animals. Plants require light, carbon dioxide, water, and mineral salts to make their food through photosynthesisPhotosynthesis is the process by which green plants, and some algae and bacteria, convert the energy of sunlight into chemical energy. This energy is then used to synthesize carbohydrates such as... More.

5. Irritability/Sensitivity: This is the ability to detect and respond to stimuli.

6. Growth: This is the permanent or irreversible increase in the size of an organism.

7. Excretion: Excretion is the removal of metabolic wastesMetabolic wastes are the substances leftover from metabolic processes (like cellular respiration) which are not absorbed by the organism and hence they should be excreted. Metabolic wastes can be categorized into... More from the body of an organism.

8. Reproduction: This is the process by which an organism gives rise to offspring of its same kind. In other words, it is the process by which organisms give rise to genetically identical organisms i.e. organisms of the same species. The process may be asexual if only one parent is involved and sexual if two parents are involved and there is a fusion of gametes.

9. Adaptation: Living things are able to suit or modify themselves to cope with changes within their internal and external environment. It increases their chances of survival within their environment

10. Competition: All living things struggle for survival in order to live. They struggle for space, light, water, food, and reproductive mates.

11. Life Span: All living things have a definite period of existence.