Is an apple a living thing?

Question

An apple tree is a living thing. That's for certain. When the apple is on the tree, it is a living thing. Right? When you pick an apple, and put it on the kitchen table, is the apple still a living thing? When does the apple STOP being a living thing?

Answer 1

I wouldn't consider an apple a living thing. The apple is the ovary of the tree. Its purpose is to spread the seeds either by falling and providing nutrients to the growing seeds or by being ingested by passing animals and allowing the animals to spread the seeds through defecation.
The apple itself is not ever really living, it's just an organ. It will no longer grow once it is off the tree, but the again once it has reached full maturity it stops growing anyway.
And the lettuce the above poster refers to is different. Lettuce is the plant itself, not the reproductive section of the plant. Any green vegetation is alive until it is completely wilted and brown (at that point, there is no photosynthesis or respiration taking place so the plant is starved).

Answer 2

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RE:
Is an apple a living thing?
An apple tree is a living thing. That's for certain. When the apple is on the tree, it is a living thing. Right? When you pick an apple, and put it on the kitchen table, is the apple still a living thing? When does the apple STOP being a living thing?

Answer 3

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An apple in not an organism, but yes, it's a living part of a living organism (an apple tree). The seeds contained within are also alive and remain so after the apple has fallen from the tree and begins decomposing

Answer 4

That's difficult to say, certainly the seed inside can be considered "living." As long as the apple hasn't begun to dry out or go sour, as long as it is still "fresh," most of the cells in the apple are probably still alive.

Keep in mind, that the apple's whole reason for existence is for you to eat it ! It's just the apple tree's way of cleverly persuading you to pamper it, and to spread it's seeds around. Franky, I think the tree has the better end of the deal.

Answer 5

Here's my thought...we all die...but were once living, so we would be considered a living thing, even after expiration. The cool thing about an apple, is that even after it is picked, it still has a seed inside...a new tree in the making. I would say that makes it an even more obvious living thing...don't you think? I'm going to give you a star, because I found this a rather interesting thought!

Answer 6

Ok ppl u r forgetting that an apple contains the seeds from which a new tree grows! So it has to be a living thing, because it grows into a tree! (well the seeds inside it do, and the apple is just food for the seeds, but an "apple" is a single entity referring to the seeds + the rest of the apple, so therefore the apple is alive)

Answer 7

It depends on your definition of "alive". My definition of alive is when the thing follows the "MRS GREN" rule.

M - Movement
R - Reproduction
S - Sensitivity

G - Growth
R - Respiration
E - Excretion
N - Nutrition

An Apple doesn't do all of these/most, therefore I wouldn't say it is living. However, you wouldn't want to eat something that is dead - so it really depends on what you mean by "alive".

P.S. - The seed I would think is living. Once it has been removed from the tree, I would say it starts to "die". The tree is basically like its life support.

Answer 8

Yes, it is alive until it is dead. Dead vegitation tends to be a nasty smelling fluid (the cells lysed). If it weren't alive you wouldn't want to eat it. Salad is still alive when you eat it too (it still respires).
The tissue known as "apple" is sort of a kamakaze tissue for the sake of the seed. It is intended (in as much as a tree can intend anything) to be eaten by something (in this case you) to spread the seed to a possibly viable habitat (unfortunately you will probably send it to a landfill *sigh*). Until it is dead, it carries on metabolic processes ("life")... Admittedly, it is no longer connected to the tree- its source for metabolism, so it won't last very long. But it doesn't have to! You're supposed to eat it! That's sort-of the point (as my unlamented Cell & Molecular Biology Professor used to say).

Answer 9

I beleive that it is not as once it's picked it starts to 'die'
It goes rotten after a certain amount of time.
It's life support is the tree.

Answer 10

An apple is not a living thing. It's just the tree's fruit. It's like it seeds to reproduce itself. like pollen. its not living... hopefully that helps