What is the difference between living and non-living things?

Answer 1

All living things display the following characteristics:

- Survivability

- Genetic Composition

- Mutation

- Genetic Variation

- Cellular composition

- Metabolism

- Reproduction

- Development

- Growth

- Homeostasis

Non-living things fail in at least one of theses "rules" of life.

This means that something like a bacterium is alive, while a virus is not because it has no homeostasis mechanisms, cannot grow and it cannot reproduce without hijacking the replicatory equipment of a living organism.
All living things do/require/etc MRS GREN:

Movement

Respiration

Sensitivity

Growth

Reproduction

Excretion

Nutrition

Non-Living things do not.

Answer 2

Living things all show these 7 things:
1. Nutrition: Taking in nutrients which are organic substances and mineral ions, containing raw materials and energy for growth and tissue repair, absorbing and assimilating them.
2. Excretion: Removal from organisms of toxic materials, the waste products of metabolism and substances in excess.
3. Respiration: Chemical reactions that break down nutrient molecules in living cells to release energy.
4. Sensitivity: The ability to detect or sense changes in the environment and to make responses.
5. Reproduction: Progresses that make more of the same kind of organism.
6. Growth: The permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in number of cells, cell size, or both.
7. Movement: An action by an organism or part of an organism that changes position or place.
The seven characteristics could be memorized by the term “Mrs. Gren”: