Key Differences Between Living and Non-Living Things

Living vs. Non-Living Things

Both living and non-living things are made up of matter. All living things share certain common characteristics. These characteristics can help us identify a mineral as a non-living thing and a butterfly as a living one.

Composition of Non-Living Things

Non-living things are made up of inorganic matter. The most abundant chemical elements include:

• Oxygen
• Silicon
• Aluminum
• Iron

Composition of Living Things

Living things are made up of chemical elements called bioelements. The most abundant are:

• Oxygen
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Sulfur

Key Characteristics of Life

Nutrition

Autotrophic Nutrition

Organisms with autotrophic nutrition capture energy from their environment and use it to transform inorganic substances, such as water, carbon dioxide, and mineral salts, into organic matter. Plants, algae, and some bacteria are autotrophs.

Heterotrophic Nutrition

Organisms with heterotrophic nutrition cannot produce their own food. They obtain organic matter by feeding on other organisms. Animals, protozoans, and fungi are heterotrophs.

Interaction with the Environment

Interaction is the ability to obtain information about changes in the environment. Stimuli are changes in the environment (such as temperature and humidity) or in the organism itself (such as hunger). Responses are the adaptations or reactions to those changes.

Reproduction

Asexual Reproduction

In asexual reproduction, two or more identical individuals are produced from a single parent. Examples include bacteria and jellyfish.

Sexual Reproduction

In sexual reproduction, two individuals of different sexes are required. Gametes join together to produce new, similar organisms.

Cellular Organization

Prokaryotic Cells

The term prokaryotic means "before a nucleus." These cells do not have a defined nucleus, and their DNA is dispersed in the cytoplasm.

Eukaryotic Cells

The term eukaryotic means "with a true nucleus." In these cells, the genetic material is protected by a double membrane that separates it from the cytoplasm.

Classification of Organisms

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of classifying organisms using a hierarchical system. The main ranks are:

• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus

The Kingdoms of Life

Kingdom Monera

• Cell Type: Prokaryotic
• Cellularity: Unicellular
• Nutrition: Autotrophic and Heterotrophic
• Reproduction: Asexual

Kingdom Protista

• Cell Type: Eukaryotic
• Cellularity: Unicellular and Multicellular
• Nutrition: Autotrophic and Heterotrophic
• Reproduction: Sexual and Asexual

Kingdom Fungi

• Cell Type: Eukaryotic
• Cellularity: Unicellular and Multicellular
• Nutrition: Heterotrophic
• Reproduction: Sexual and Asexual

Kingdom Animalia

• Cell Type: Eukaryotic
• Nutrition: Heterotrophic
• Reproduction: Sexual and Asexual
• Characteristics: Have sense organs and can move.