We can place all things into three groups:
| Alive (living) eg Cow, Grass, mouse, fly |
Used to Be alive eg wood, fossil, paper |
Non-living eg stone, glass, metal |
Living things are able to do several things a non-living thing may not be able to do like move, grow, reproduce and feed .
There are seven processes that are carried out by all animals and plants.
You only need remember the first four:
Movement, Reproduction, Growth and nutrition (feeding)
The life processes show us if something is living
| Life process | What it means |
| Movement | Going from one place to another.Animals usually move their whole body from one place to another.
Leaves turn towards the light. Roots grow down into the soil. |
| Reproduction | Producing new plants or animals.Animals have babies.
New plants grow from seeds. |
| Growth | Cells multiplying and growingSeedlings grow into bigger plants.
babies grow into adults |
| Nutrition | Taking in food. Food is needed to supply energyGreen plants can make their own food using sunlight, carbon dioxide and water. Animals eat plants or other animals. |
| Sensitivity | How things react and respond to what is happening around them eg plants turning and moving towards the light oryour mouth watering when you smell something good to eat. |
| Excretion | Getting rid of waste substances.eg Plants and animals excrete (get rid of) carbon dioxide. |
| Respiration | Making energy to keep you active.Plants and animals use oxygen from the air to help turn food into energy. We need energy for our muscles. More on Respiration |
Respiration:
| Respiration
Respiration is the name of a chemical reaction carried out by all living organisms in order to provide them with energy Glucose (a kind of sugar) reacts with oxygen releasing energy. Carbon dioxide and water are produced as waste products |
In humans the sugar enters the body through the mouth and Oxygen enters the body through the lungs
See Breathing System