Seven life processes

Living and non-living things around us are differentiated by these life processes. Here a discussion about these life processes is given. Please read this article till the end to add few drops of knowledge in your life. 

Image credit: TES

Moving

Moving from one place to another is quite obvious in living beings. Animals and human beings use their bodies to move.

But things like plants can't move from one place to another. They do movements in the direction of light and water. For getting more light many stems go upwards and for absorbing more and more water the roots move downwards.

Vehicles also move and smart gadgets also move but they move because humans or some animals are making them to move by operating them or by applying force to them. A Bullock cart is non-living thing but it moves when bullocks are applying force to it in specified manner. Petrol vehicles move when someone starts it and use the prescribed method to drive it.

Reproduction

All living things make offspring (babies or seeds). Humans and animals have babies. Birds, insects, reptiles and water animals lay eggs. Some new plants can grow from seeds. Some plants grow from cuttings or shoots. Now a days tissue cultured plants are also available.

But there are some non-living things that reproduce. A fire spreads and if get proper conditions such as dried bio-wastage or some fuel then it will spread again. And thus it seems to be live. But fire don't have any other life feature.

Crystals of salts catalyze and then reproduce an identical crystal and thus seem to reproduce and as they accumulate at one place they seem to grow but just reproducing and growing don't prove that crystals are living things.

Sensation

All living things respond to any change that they sense. All are having a sensory system depending upon the size and species. When you are feeling cold, you will put on a jersey or jacket. When it becomes winter some animals hibernate. In autumn the leaves on some trees change colour. You can use an umbrella to protect you from the rain or from the harsh sun on a hot day. Reptiles like to lie and bask in the sun on cold winter's days.

Non-living things do not respond to any changes around them. But some sensory machines like thermometer are designed to sense the changes and measure it. But such type of things do not show other life processes.

Breathing or respiration

All living things BREATHE gases in and out. Respiration is very ordinary process and too much useful to all leaving beings. Humans and animals inhale oxygen from the air and they breath out carbon dioxide. Plants breath in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis into their leaves and use it to make food. During this process they give off oxygen which is useful to other living beings. The photosynthesis process occurs in presence of sun-light means during day time. During night plants also inhale oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide.

Feeding or consuming food

All living animals and plants need food. Food gives all living things the energy they need.

Green plants can make their own food for energy in their leaves and stems. Humans and animals eat plants to get energy.

Excreting
All living animals and plants have to get rid of waste products of different processes taking place in their bodies. Humans and animals have to get rid of waste products from their bodies. There are special organs in the body which help to get rid of waste, such as the lungs, kidneys and skin. Your kidneys take the waste out of your blood and produce urine. Also, when you sweat you are actually excreting waste from your skin!

Plants get rid of waste water through the process of transpiration.

Growth 
All living things grow. Human and animal babies grow into adults. Seedlings grow into plants.

All seven of the life processes must happen for something to be living. If something does not carry out all seven life processes then it is non-living. But there are some more features of life which are listed and explained below.

Use of energy
Use of energy is not one of the seven life processes. But all living things use the energy as they require. Many non-living things also use energy but they are to be driven or operated by humans.

Evolution
Evolution is process under which a thing is modified to accustom the environment around it. All the living creatures undergo this process but the evolution is very long term process. It needs several centuries to show the results. But the slow process is on the go with journey of this planet. This not listed in seven life processes but it is one of main features of the life.
Some non-living things like rocks, mountains, soil and other natural things also undergo process of evolution but they are not showing all the seven life processes explained above. Some man made things are also evolved as per the need of mankind; the very drastic example is mobile phone now becoming smart phone and many more electronics goods.

Adaption
All living being sense the changes around them and respectively react. But adapting to environmental conditions is key feature of life across the planet. As the weather conditions around all the living beings are changed as per their locations. Just as you can see trees and plants. Plants in rain forests are having longer branches bigger leaves as compared to the trees located in area where ice falls. Also plants in desserts are designed to save water while that in heavily raining area are having advanced features of transpiration. Adaption feature is absent in all non-living things.

Waiting for right conditions

Some things seem to be non-living for a very long time such as seeds, eggs etc. When seed get favorable conditions such as presence of moisture, light, soil, air etc they get germinated and grow in a plant and thus become living from non-living. Seeds are in dormant state till these conditions are not attained. 

Birds lay eggs and keep them warm until they don't hatch. The warmth given by the parent bird only gives life to the egg.

Dry yeast seems to be non-living but as it gets warmth, moisture and sugar present in batter it becomes live and helps in fermentation of the cake batter, idli batter, dosa batter, bread dough

Dead and non-living
Living things can become dead when they die. Thus a dead thing means the things which were alive in past. Means a bark of fallen tree is dead. Bone of a dead animal are also dead.
But if the living things are processed they become non-living. Thus bark of tree cut in pieces and then finely processed for smooth feel is a non-living thing which is use in furniture purpose.
A tusk of elephant, nails of tiger, fish bones, skin of animals, sea-shells etc are dead things until they are processed. After processing and converting them into useful material for production of accessories they become non-living. Thus well processed sea-shells used for decoration purpose or used in ornaments are non-living one. The finely ground powder of animal bones used in bone-china crockery is dead before processing the animal bones.

Hope you liked the information which I have shred here. All you readers are requested to comment their opinion in comment section. Shortly the new articles based on your opinion will be published for spreading knowledge to all of you.