Characteristics of Living Organisms

Core concept

Not every living thing shows every characteristic in an obvious way — for example, plants do not move from place to place like animals, but they do show movement in slower forms, like leaves turning towards sunlight. A useful way to remember these characteristics is the acronym 'MRS GREN' — Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition. Non-living things, like a rock or a toy car, may sometimes appear to move or change, but they do not carry out these life processes internally.