Science · Chapter 2 · ICSE Class 5

Living and Non-Living Things

Everything around us is either living or non-living. Guess correctly, then see if you were right and why.

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A comparison of living things and non-living things Two columns comparing living things such as a plant and a bird that grow, breathe, and move, against non-living things such as a rock and a chair that do not Living 🌱 🐦 Grows Breathes Moves Non-Living 🪨 🪑 Does not grow Does not breathe Does not move on its own
2.1

What makes something living?

A living thing is anything that is alive. All living things share certain characteristics that non-living things do not have.

Signs of life
  • Grows and develops over time
  • Needs food, water, and air
  • Breathes (respiration)
  • Can move on its own
  • Responds to its surroundings
  • Can reproduce to make more of its kind
Examples
  • A dog runs, eats, grows, and has puppies
  • A tree grows taller, makes seeds, and bends towards sunlight
  • A fish swims, breathes through gills, and lays eggs
2.2

What are non-living things?

A non-living thing does not grow, breathe, move on its own, or reproduce. It may still be useful or even move — like a car or a cloud — but it does not do these things by itself as a living process.

Everyday example — A toy robot can move its arms, but only because a battery or a person makes it move — it doesn't grow, eat, or make more robots by itself, so it is non-living.
2.3

Living vs. non-living: a closer look

1A tricky case: fire

Fire seems to "grow" and move, but it does not eat food, breathe, or reproduce in the biological sense — it needs fuel and oxygen to burn, not to live. Fire is non-living.

2A tricky case: a seed

A dry seed sitting in a packet looks lifeless, but it is still living — it can grow into a plant when given water, air, and the right conditions.

Watch out — Moving is not enough to make something living — clouds, rivers, and cars all move, but none of them grow, breathe, or reproduce on their own.
2.4

What living things need to survive

All living things need certain basic things to stay alive: air to breathe, water to drink or absorb, food for energy, a place to live (habitat), and space to grow.

Practice

Exercises

Tap a question to reveal its answer once you've tried it yourself.

Assess

Sample tests

Two 20-mark, 30-minute tests. Reveal answers question by question.