Comparing Living and Non-living Things: An Analysis

How Do You “Know” What Is Living and Dead?

In this essay, I am going to discuss how I can "know" whether something is living or non-living. First, I am going to discuss the common things between living and non-living objects. Both are composed of atoms or molecules. For example body cells nave molecules and so does water. Both have mass. For example humans have mass and so does water. Both can be seen. For example,I can see living things Ike tree' s humans etc.

and I can also see non-living things like stones, mountains, sand etc.

Both occupy space. For example, IVing things like elephants, take up a lot of space and so do mountains. Although there are a few things that are common, there are several things that are different. Living things move and dead things do not move. For example humans move around from place to place, but books do not move. Living things use energy while dead things do not.

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For example, numans use energy to write with a pencil, but the pencil does not use any energy. Living things grow and dead things do not grow.

For example, trees grow taler and taller but sand does not. All living things breathe and all dead things do not oreathe. For example, animals breathe but computers do not. Living things will all die one day, but non-living things were never alive and always will be dead.. For example, penguins will die someday Dut the snow will always be dead.

Living things reproduce but non-living things do not. For example, cats reproduce but stones do not. Living things have to eat to keep them going, but dead things are already dead. For example babies eat drink milk to gro, but a mountain does not. Animals and humans have sOCial interaction but dead things do not have any social interaction.

For example dolphins Communicate through sound while seawater does not because it's dead. Animals and humans have emotion while dead things have no emotion. For example when porcupines get angry, they shoot out their thorns but notebooks have no emotion. Ihere are some interestlng cases or noninVing things that aisplay many characteristics of living things. For example, planets are non-living tnings Dut they stmove S0 we nave to look at otne characteristics like ability to reproduce, to breathe etc. An erupting volcano has a lot of motion and sOund with lava flowing down the Sides. The volcano also seems to be growing in Size. It also seems to show other characteristics of Iiving beings like breathing', 'showing emotions', 'reproducing' etc.

In ancient times, humans actually believe that an erupting volcano indicated that the gods were angry. Perhaps the only reason how we know that volcanoes are non-living is by microscopic study of its composition showing that it is composted of non-living matter, which was not possible in the ancient days. Similarly the sun, fire, comets and other heavenly objects were also considered to be gods and were worshiped, perhaps because they displayed so many characteristics of Iliving things. However modern science has disproved it. In conclusion it is not always easy to know if an object is living or non living but modern science has enabled us to peek into the composition of the objects to see if it consist of living or non-living matter to "know" the case.