Different Types Of Growth and Stimuli :

Living organisms exhibit following important characteristics :

1. Growth (Growth is not defining properties)

It involves increase in mass and increase in number

In plants growth is continuous throughout the life but in animals growth is restricted after certain age.

Living organisms show growth from inside but non-living objects show growth from outside (e.g. by accumulation of some material on their surface).

2. Reproduction (Reproduction is not defining properties)

In case of unicellular organisms, growth and reproduction are considered as same i.e. increase in number

e.g. bacteria, Amoeba, Paramecium, unicellular algae, etc.

Many living organisms in nature are unable to

reproduce e.g. mule, hinny, worker bees, infertile human couples, etc but none of the non living objects can reproduce or replicate.

3. Metabolism (Metabolism is defining properties)

It is the sum total of all the chemical reactions occurring in vivo (in our body).

None of the non living objects exhibit metabolism.

Metabolic reactions occurring in vitro can be considered as living reactions but not living things

4. Consciousness (or the ability to respond to environmental stimuli) (Consciousness is defining properties)

Reproduction in seasonal breeders (plants and animals both) is affected by photoperiod.

Other important characteristics for the living organisms are self organizing, interacting and evolving, etc.

Number of species known to human on earth are 1.7. to 1.8 million.

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