A living thing is any organism or life form that possesses or shows the characteristics of life or being alive. Living things are also called organisms and are composed of cells. Scientists can distinguish living things from non-living things because living things behave in ways that non-living things do not. Some key characteristics of living things include:

• Organization: Living things have an organized structure, which means they are composed of cells and have a specific arrangement of parts.

• Energy: Living things require energy to carry out life processes such as growth, movement, and reproduction.

• Response to stimuli: Living things are sensitive and can respond to changes in their environment.

• Adaptation: Living things can adapt to environmental changes to survive.

• Reproduction: Living things are capable of reproduction, which is the process of creating new life.

• Growth and development: Living things can grow and develop, which means they can increase in size and complexity over time.

Examples of living things include animals, plants, fungi, algae, protozoans, and bacteria. However, there is some debate about whether viruses should be considered living things, as they cannot carry out life processes on their own and require a host cell to reproduce.