**Living vs Non-Living Beings**
**7 Key Characteristics of Living Beings:**
1. **Movement** — can move on own (animals) or parts move (plants)
2. **Growth** — body becomes larger over time
3. **Nutrition** — need food to grow and get energy
4. **Respiration** — breathe air in and out; plants use stomata (tiny leaf pores)
5. **Excretion** — remove waste (sweat, urine, water from leaves)
6. **Response to Stimuli** — react to touch, heat, light (thorn prick → pull hand back)
7. **Reproduction** — produce young ones; ensures life continues
**Non-Living Things:** Do NOT show all these traits. Examples: pencil, book, chair, stone, car.
**Special Examples:**
**Key Definitions:**
**Diagrams to Remember:** Parts of a leaf (stomata), touch-me-not leaf folding, growing child at different ages
**Don't Confuse:** A car moves but is NOT living (no growth, no breathing, no reproduction). A plant doesn't walk but IS living (leaves move, grows, reproduces).
Q1. Which of the following is a characteristic of all living beings?
Answer: B — All living beings need food for growth and development, whether they are animals or plants.
Q2. What are the tiny pores on plant leaves called through which plants breathe?
Answer: B — Stomata are tiny pores on the surface of leaves that allow plants to take in and release air for respiration.
Q3. Why is a car NOT considered a living thing even though it moves?
Answer: B — Living things must show all characteristics like growth, nutrition, respiration, and reproduction; cars lack these.
Q4. What happens when you touch a touch-me-not (chhui-mui) plant?
Answer: B — Touch-me-not plants respond to the stimulus of touch by folding their leaves as a protective mechanism.
Q5. Which process removes waste products like sweat and urine from a living being's body?
Answer: B — Excretion is the process by which living beings remove waste products such as sweat and urine from their bodies.
Q6. What is a stimulus in biology? Fill in: A stimulus is anything that causes a living being to ______.
Answer: C — A stimulus is defined as anything that causes a living being to respond or react, like touching a hot object.
Q7. If a bird eats seeds and grows bigger, which two characteristics of living beings does this show?
Answer: B — Eating seeds shows nutrition (need for food) and becoming bigger shows growth, both key characteristics of living beings.
Q8. Look at the diagram: Which label correctly identifies the part shown? [Imagine a leaf diagram with an arrow pointing to tiny pores]
Answer: B — The diagram shows tiny pores on the leaf surface, which are stomata used for plant respiration.
Q9. Why do plants that are insectivorous (like Drosera) have sticky hairs that trap insects?
Answer: B — Insectivorous plants trap insects to get nutrition, showing that plants need food just like animals do.
Q10. What does it mean when we say a living being is dead?
Answer: B — A living being is dead when it cannot show characteristics like movement, growth, respiration, or reproduction even with all resources available.
What is a living being?
A living being is something that shows movement, grows, needs food, breathes, excretes waste, responds to stimuli, and can reproduce.
Name five characteristics that make living things different from non-living things.
Living things show movement, growth, need food for nutrition, respire (breathe), excrete waste, respond to stimuli, and reproduce.
Can plants move?
Yes, plants can move — flowers open and close, touch-me-not leaves fold when touched, and climbing plants wind around objects.
What is respiration?
Respiration is the process of breathing where air moves into the body (inhalation) and moves out of the body (exhalation).
What are stomata and what do they do?
Stomata are tiny pores on the surface of plant leaves that allow plants to take air in and out, helping them breathe.
What is excretion?
Excretion is the removal of waste products from the body, such as sweat, urine, or water droplets on plant leaves.
What is a stimulus and give one example.
A stimulus is anything that prompts a living being to respond; examples include stepping on a thorn or touching a hot cup.
Why is reproduction important for living beings?
Reproduction is important because it creates new living beings and ensures the continuity of life on Earth.
Is a car a living thing? Why or why not?
No, a car is not living because it does not grow, eat food, breathe, excrete, respond to all stimuli, or reproduce.
How do you know a shell found on the beach could contain a living snail?
The shell is part of the snail's body, so a living snail could be inside even if the shell is not moving.
Is a shell found on the beach a living thing or non-living thing? Give one reason. [1 mark]
A shell is part of a snail's body. Even if it is not moving, it could contain a living snail inside. A living being can be inside non-moving structures.
Name any two characteristics that prove a dog is a living being but a toy dog is not. [2 marks]
Think about: Does it eat food? Does it grow? Does it breathe? Does it move on its own? Does it have young ones? A real dog does all these; a toy dog does none.
How do plants respond to stimuli? Give two examples from your everyday life. [3 marks]
Plants show response to touch (touch-me-not leaves fold) and to light (flowers open in day, close at night). Explain what stimulus causes each response and what the plant does.
Explain why respiration and excretion are important for living beings. Draw and label a diagram showing how air enters and leaves a human body during respiration. [5 marks]
Respiration provides oxygen for life; excretion removes harmful waste. Diagram must show: nose/mouth → lungs → carbon dioxide out. Label: inhale (air in), exhale (air out), lungs. Explain that all living beings respire.
True or False: A car is a living thing because it moves. Give one reason for your answer. [2 marks]
False. A car may move, but it does not grow, eat food, breathe, respond to all stimuli, or reproduce. Movement alone does not make something living.
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