how would you determine if something was living or non-living?

Answer 1

This topic is typically covered during the first couple of intro
to general bio. classes; something like this: Biology is the study of life---What is life? The usual responses: it moves,it eats,it breathes,it goes to the bathroom,etc.
In the first few pages of a general biology textbook you will see what determines the state of "living", called the "life processes" or "life activities." Don't restrict your answers to humans, but to ALL living things; what activities do all living things possess?
Here are some: Respiration (not breathing), excretion (not "going to the bathroom"), movement (it doesn't have to be fast, or even detected), reproduction (not -------), ingestion/nutrition (not eating), locomotion (or lack thereof-sessile),synthesis & assimilation, irritability (responds to the external or internal environment),Growth (from the inside, out), transport(distribution of materials, like food and gases),and perhaps the most important, metabolism (includes all biochemical activity).
It is obvious that a dog or cat running around is "living",and less obvious for a geranium plant. Think about this: A sample
of materials from another planet is examined. Is anything in this sample alive? It may not be all that obvious!

Answer 2

When you break a rock into pieces, the pieces remain in the same state and function as if they were whole.

Separate a living thing and the state of one or both parts changes.

Leaves change color every fall, the tree lives but the leaves are dying off to be replaced in the spring. If you find all of the leaves they still will not fit from whence they fell.

A Rock however can be restored to its original shape provided all of the pieces can be found. A Rock will not adhere or grow together as some living things so arranged will do.

Does this help?

Answer 3

It appears to depend on feeding and reproduction. Life is a process which can make more of itself. However, fire can also accomplish this and the growth of crystals is somewhat similar. Life distinguishes itself from non-living processes by the way it uses and stores energy. Both fire and life turn organic carbon compounds into carbon dioxide and water. The organic compounds have more chemical energy and this energy is released when the organic material is decomposed. In simple combustion, the energy is turned into heat and light. In living organisms, this energy is stored in special chemicals. ATP is an organic compound found in all living matter. It stores chemical energy which is then used to preform all the other things living cells have to do. Viruses are not thought of as living organisms. They reproduce exactly like living things and even use the same chemical compounds to do so. However, they can not use energy of any kind and rely on living things to supply this energy to them. Viruses are thought to have once been parts of living cells which became separated but not damaged enough to render them completely inoperative. When they re entered cells, they reproduced themselves but were no longer under the control of the cell, so the reproduction continued until the cell literally burst open.

Answer 4

Put a sample of tissue under a microscope, if u can see a cell membrane, and can identify some cell structures like nucleus, mitochondria, vacuoles etc. , it was living, if not, u know the answer

Some cells don't have a nucleus( eg. prokaryotic cells), but all cells have a cell membrane or some sort of protective covering to contain the cell's insides.

To check if your maybe-once living, maybe-still living "something", is living, get a look at it thru an electron microscope - thats the best microscope ever- and see if the mitochondria's making any ATP( adenosine triphosphate, source of energy for most organisms), if it does, its living. If not, no.

Some of these methods r way beyond the reach of an average person, but hey u needed the answer.

Answer 5

It depends on the type of technology you have available to you. All living things are made of atoms. You need to first determine if this object has cellular changes. If you do not have the means needed to determine this than take the advice of the others and poke it with a stick. If it moves it is alive if not its dead.

Answer 6

Living by some evolutionists is something that contains information, can use this information to grow and reproduce, and produces descent with modification in the offspring. This does not exclude the infertile if that is what you are thinking.

There are also many other factors, but this is what is most important to evolutionary theory when defining living beings.

Answer 7

living things exhibit these traits:
1. homeostasis
2. Cellular organization
3. Energy utilization
4. Adaptation
5. Growth and reproduction
6. React to stimuli

Answer 8

a living thing has life but a non living thing has no life

Answer 9

If it carries out cellular respiration then it is living.

Answer 10

tak a stick make a trap and wait and wait and wait until u poke it