All living things share nine key characteristics: they adapt over time, can heal from injury, have DNA and/or RNA, will die at some point, can sense danger, can reproduce and grow, need water and energy, are made of cells, and must move or they will die. These characteristics distinguish living things from non-living things like rocks, posters, shoes, computers, chairs, tables, and phones that do not adapt, heal, have genetic material, die, sense danger, reproduce, need nutrients, be made of cells, or require movement.

1. The Nine Characteristics of Life By:Austin

2. All living things adapt over time. A piece of wood does not. A butterfly has to adapt or it will die.

3. Living things can heal themselves from injury . If you were to get stabbed you can get stitches and you would heal. A rock gets smashed it can’t heal.

4. All living things have DNA and/or RNA. A person has DNA and, a poster does not.

5. All livings things die at some time. Like a lion has a life span and a shoe has no life span.

6. Living things know when there’s danger. Like a tiger knows when some one trying to kill it, but a computer can’t tell when someone is going to brake it.

7. Living thing can reproduce and grow. Like a cat can reproduce and grow, but a chair does not reproduce and grow.

8. All living things need water and a source of energy. Like a bird needs them. A table does not need none of these.

9. All living things have cells. A piece of pie does not have cells, but a worm has cells.

10. All living things have to move or they will die. Like a tree it will die if does not move, but a phone does not have to move.