Differences between Living and Non-Living Things

Living things include all kinds of organisms that have life. Non-living things doesn’t have life.

The differences between living and non-living objects are summarized as follows:

1. Living things (or organisms) require nutrition, i.e., nourishment and feeding. Non-living things do not require nutrition.
2. Living organisms can reproduce new individuals to continue the Organism. Non-living things cannot reproduce.
3. Living things show the process of metabolism. Metabolism is absent in case of Non-living objects.
4. Living things can move bodily or show movement of parts of organs of their body in response to external stimuli. Non-living things never move on their own effort.
5. Living organisms respond to external stimuli. Non-living things have no power to respond to external stimuli.
6. Living things show growth which comes from within. Non-living things do not show any growth like living ones; their increase in size is always due to addition of more particles from outside.
7. Living organism respire, i.e., they take in Oxygen and give out Carbon-dioxide, releasing energy for work, whereas, Non-living things do not respire.
8. Living organisms have a definite Life Cycle, whereas, Non-Living objects have no definite Life Cycle.