What are the characteristics of living things? – Every living thing has characteristics. Starting from the special characteristics to the general characteristics. Living things consist of humans, animals and plants.
Each of them has characteristics, although not always the same. This article will discuss the characteristics of a living thing.
1. Breathe
The process of breathing will involve oxygen and carbon dioxide. For humans, they breathe using the nose. Inhaling oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide by several processes. The body will experience biological oxidation, occurring in body cells that need oxygen. This process will produce carbon dioxide due to the process of burning food substances by oxygen. The organ responsible for breathing is the lungs.
In plants, the process of breathing is called photosynthesis. In the process of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is processed together with water and sunlight. This process takes place in the stomata. There will be solid glucose consumed by the plant from that process. After that, oxygen will be released by the plant through the stomata.
The process of breathing in animals occurs differently. Depending on the type of animal and the type of environment in which it lives. For example, mammals heat up using their noses and lungs. Unlike fish, hot fish use gills which are located on the left and right sides of the fish’s head.
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2. Requires Nutrition
The nutrients needed by the body include food and drink. Drinks also have an important role in obtaining nutrition. Drinks or water will be used by the body for solvents in the body.
For humans and animals, they cannot produce their own food through the body. However, it is different with plants. Plants can produce food through their own bodies.
3. Move
Moving, which is meant by the characteristics of plants, does not mean moving places, or doing mobility. Animals and humans have a locomotor system. Like muscles, joints and bones that can be used to move. Animals and humans use them to move like walking and running. In contrast to plants, plants move on the reaction to the environment.
The motion that occurs in plants only occurs in a few parts, which are limited. Examples include the movement of flowers from bud to bloom, when plants move in search of water or sunlight. There are several types of motion in plants, namely taxis movement, nasti movement, and tropism movement. These movements occur due to the reaction of hormones in plants, for example, the hormone auxin.
4. React to Stimulation or Irritability
Every living thing must be able to respond to or receive a stimulus. Stimuli that can be felt by living things such as sound, light, taste, touch, smell, and others.
Reactions to stimuli that can be felt by animals and plants occur because they have a special system. These systems are the nervous system, hormone system, muscular system and sensory system. This allows animals and humans to hear, smell, see, touch or feel, and can feel a taste.
Unlike plants. Plants do not have the systems that exist in animals and humans. However, the body can still react to stimuli. Like when there is sunlight, Earth’s gravitational force, touch, the presence of chemicals and water.
5. Grow and Develop
In animals and humans growth and development do not occur continuously, one day it can stop. While growth in plants is not limited. As long as the plant is alive, growth and development will continue.
In humans and animals, growth begins while still a fetus. The fetus will come out so that it experiences development and growth little by little. Meanwhile, in different plants. Plant development and growth begins when the plant is still a seed. Then it grows and develops until the plant dies.
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6. Reproduce or Multiply
In humans, the reproductive process begins with the fertilization of the egg and continues through the process of fertilization. Generally the process of reproduction in animals is the same as the process that occurs in humans. Meanwhile, plants reproduce in a different way. Plants can reproduce by themselves or with the help of humans.
Processes that occur in plants can take place vegetatively (not mating) and generatively (mating). Examples vegetatively are through shoots, tubers, geraniums, remaining roots, spores, or dividing. While generative examples through the process of pollination.
7. Removing Residual Substances
Animals and humans have the same way of removing waste substances. The remaining substances are released in the form of gas, liquid, and solid substances. Unlike plants. Plants excrete waste materials through stomata.
8. Adapt
When a living thing cannot adapt to its environment, it has to move. Moved elsewhere to adapt. If the living thing does not migrate but cannot adapt either, then it will die.
9. Requires a certain ambient temperature
Likewise with animals. For example, like polar bears who live in polar regions with low or cold temperatures. If a polar bear is placed in an environment with warm temperatures it will definitely not survive. Plants that live in a humid environment will have different leaves that are thin and wide like clover plants.
10. Experiencing Metabolism
In addition to oxygen, the basic material needed when carrying out metabolism is a substrate. Substrates are nutrients that come from food or beverage substances. In this metabolic process, food substances that enter the body and are digested will be broken down. The substance will undergo various processes. After that it will be divided into various kinds of energy and compounds for the body.
11. Regulation
Regulation is a characteristic of living things. Regulation is an ability possessed by living things. This ability includes how to make harmony in the body. The regulation is regulated by hormones and nerves.
That is information about the characteristics of living things.