Life is a difficult concept to define in scientific terms; however, we can distinguish between living and non-living beings. The Earth is a cluster of matter and energy that, at some point in its evolution, gave rise to what we know as life.
In this sense, we are surrounded by living and non-living beings that we can identify with the naked eye in our environment. Here we explain what they are.
| Living beings | Non-living beings | |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword | Organism | Object |
| Basic unit | The cell. | The atom. |
| Chemical structure | Very complex, they are composed of many varied compounds and macromolecules. | Simpler. |
| Transformations in the span of existence | They are born from another similar being, grow and / or develop, regenerate, can reproduce and then die. | They are not modified during their entire existence. |
| Reproduction | They multiply and give rise to a similar being. | An inert structure does not give rise to another equal structure. |
| Dependence | They require ingesting material from outside to maintain their vital functions. | They do not depend on ingesting material from the outside to exist. |
| Response to stimuli | They react to environmental stimuli, changing their behavior or state. | They do not alter their state by stimuli from the outside environment. |
| Classification | They present various classifications as they increase in complexity: prokaryotes and eukaryotes, unicellular and multicellular, animal and plant. | They are classified into natural and artificial objects. |
| Examples | Bacteria, plants, fungi and animals. | Rocks, minerals, water, tools, plastic, and glass. |
A living being is any creature or organism made up of cells, whose most notable characteristics are that they are born from another similar being, grow and / or develop, can reproduce and then die. The science in charge of the study of life is biology.
Living beings include a great diversity of organisms, among which we can recognize certain common characteristics.
Living beings are chemically complex creatures, although they are constituted mainly by atoms of four elements: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen..
When combined they give rise to organic molecules or macromolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. These, in turn, organize and originate cells, the basic unit of living matter.
Living organisms grow, that is, they increase in size, either because the size of the cells or the number of them increases. In addition, they develop special structures in higher organisms such as organs, tissues and systems, with specific functions..
For example, fungi or mushrooms have a mycelium that grows in the ground and develops forming the cap and the foot or stem, which is how we recognize these organisms in forests or meadows..
Living things also have the ability to regenerate and / or repair themselves when they suffer reversible injury or damage. For example, when we cut ourselves, the tissues around the wound grow and produce material to form scars..
This means that when a living being comes into contact with physical or chemical agents it can react. The answer can be short or long term. For example, plants grow upward from the stimulus of sunlight, an effect known as positive phototropism..
Living beings reproduce, that is, they multiply. There are two types of reproduction: sexual and asexual.
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions and energy transformations that occur in cells. Two main ways are distinguished:
See also Anabolism and catabolism.
Homeostasis refers to the regulation and maintenance of the interior conditions of an organism. For example, in humans there are mechanisms that regulate blood pressure and body temperature.
Living organisms have undergone transformations and adaptations to changes in the environment over time.
For example, antibiotics are drugs that are used to fight bacterial infections by preventing the growth of bacteria..
Some species of bacteria have recently been found to be resistant to antibiotics, which is of concern for treating infections.
You may be interested in knowing the Kingdoms of nature.
Anything that does not meet the requirements of "life" is considered a non-living, inanimate or inert being..
The natural non-living objects are those created by the physical and chemical forces of nature, such as rocks, clouds, oceans, mountains, among others.
The artificial non-living objects are those creations of human beings, such as telephones, bridges, roads, dishes and clothes.
Based on the characteristics of living beings, we are going to distinguish what are the characteristics of non-living beings.
Non-living things do not have a distinctive chemical structure between them and they are generally quite simpler. For example, water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atoms, while kitchen salt is made up of sodium and chlorine atoms. Rocks are mixtures of minerals and inorganic elements.
Inanimate beings do not change their shape or size on their own. For example, a ceramic mug will have the same shape and size forever, as long as an external agent does not alter its structure, that is, it falls and breaks..
Non-living objects do not adapt to external conditions. In some cases they are degraded by external conditions. For example, rocks, with the passage of time and the forces of nature, can break down and form sand or gravel..
Artificial objects, on the other hand, can be designed in alternative ways, but that is part of human activities. For example, the Ford Model T vehicle did not adapt itself to be a Tesla Model S car today..
In this sense, non-living objects do not show a defensive or favorable behavior in the face of negative or positive stimuli. For example, if you hit a vehicle, it does not retreat in pain or attack in anger..
Although we know that a vehicle needs fuel to function, the vehicle can exist even without fuel.
Non-living objects do not spawn, a non-living entity does not regenerate or spawn another identical entity. For example, on a shelf with two plates, a third plate will not appear, unless a person places the third plate.
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