Principal Characteristics of Living Things

We can recognize living things because they share the following characteristics:

• They are born. All living things come from other living thing.

• They eat. All living things need food. The type of food may vary.

• They grow. All living things increase in size during their lifetime. Sometimes they change in appearance.

• They react. Living things can perceive what is going on around them, and they react to what they perceive.

• They reproduce. Living things can create offspring similar to themselves.

• They die. At some time, all living things stop functioning and cease to live.

WHAT LIVING THINGS ARE LIKE

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS

We can recognize living things because they share the following characteristics:

• They are born. All living things come from other living things.

 

 Chicks are hatching from eggs.

• They eat. All living things need food. The type of food may vary.

The squirrel is eating a nut.

• They grow. All living things increase in size during their lifetime. Sometimes they change appearance.

Plants growing.

 

Click on the image below to play a game about "Growth".

 

• They react. Living things can perceive what is going on around them, and they react to what they perceive.

A zebra running away from a hungry lion.

• They reproduce. Living things can create offspring similar to themselves.

A mother, a father and their baby.

• They die. At some time, all living things stop functioning and cease to live.

Dead trees in a desert.

What Living Things are Like

In nature there are nonliving things and living things. Rocks, air and wind are nonliving things. People, animals and plants are living things.

Living or nonliving? Click here to classify the following items.

We can recognize living things because they share the following characteristics:

1. They are born. All living things come from other living things.
2. They eat. All living things need food. The type of food may vary.
3. They grow. All living things increase in size during their lifetime. Sometimes they change in appearance.
4. They react. Living things can perceive what is going on around them, and they react to what they perceive.
5. They reproduce. Living things can create offspring similar to themselves.
6. They die. At some time, all living things stop functioning and cease to live.

Click on the picture below to do a test about living and nonliving things:

How many right answers did you get?