All living things show some basic characteristics that non-living materials possess. Something is considered to be alive if it follows all 7 criteria for living creatures
An easy way to remember these characteristics is to use the acronym Mrs Gren (or Mrs Nerg):
- Movement – they move or change position
- Respiration – they get energy from their food
- Sensitivity – they respond to stimuli such as light, sound, temperature
- Growth – they grow and develop
- Reproduction – they have the ability to reproduce
- Excretion – they get rid of waste products
- Nutrition – they need food for energy
A Spider Monkey Example
- Movement – the Spider monkey will move in the trees to look for food and avoid predators
- Respiration – they breathe oxygen and make energy from it’s food
- Sensitivity – the monkey can see with its eyes, can taste food and hear noise
- Growth – they grow from being a baby and develop into adults
- Reproduction – they have the ability to reproduce and have children
- Excretion – they get rid of waste products via urine and feces
- Nutrition – they need to eat food regularly for energy