Botany - The Living World Question with Solution | TestHub

Growth can be exhibited by non-living objects through the accumulation of material on their surface (e.g., mountains, boulders, and sand mounds). Therefore, growth cannot be considered a defining property of living organisms.

Reproduction also cannot be an all-inclusive defining characteristic because many living organisms do not reproduce (e.g., mules, sterile worker bees, and infertile human couples).

All living organisms, from the most primitive prokaryotes to the most complex eukaryotes, possess the ability to sense their surroundings and respond to environmental cues. This consciousness or responsiveness to environmental stimuli is the defining property of living organisms, and it applies without exception.

Therefore, living organisms can be unexceptionally distinguished from non-living things on the basis of their ability for responsiveness to environmental stimuli.