I think I even remember the first time I wondered, what can be considered a living being. I’m about five years old, I’m sitting on a bench near the store and, out of boredom, I’m stripping leaves from a boxwood bush growing nearby. And my mother, slapping my hands: “Don’t touch, the bush is alive, it hurts!” True, I tried to understand it meaningfully much later, when I was twelve years old.

Living and inanimate nature: how they differ

Main difference between living and nonliving is that Not Live nature static, unchanged. Water, stone, air, igneous rocks - they change solely under the influence external environment, but their internal structure remains unchanged.

Life assumes constant development- moreover, it manifests itself not only externally, but also involves a change in the very structure of the body. Any life on Earth develops in the form of various chains of molecules consisting of nucleic acids. These chains are DNA- are a kind of program, according to which atoms are formed not into a dead static element of nature, but into a living organism capable of existing, developing, and passing on the accumulated experience.


How can you identify a living being?

Thus, scientists have found several signs that help to understand what is inanimate and what is living?. There are five signs that only representatives of “life” have:

  1. Metabolism occurs in any living organism, or, scientifically, metabolism(which manifests itself in breathing, digestion, sleep, growth).
  2. They have more complex internal structure than objects inanimate world.
  3. Unlike inanimate things, living nature reacts vividly to any changes in the external environment; it is capable of evolve.
  4. Any Living being goes through several mandatory stages: embryonic (or other, occurring before separation from the “parent”) development; birth; height; reproduction; And death. By the way, even the simplest can divide on their own kind single-celled organisms- For example, viruses, amoebas.
  5. And finally, in a living organism there is always some unevenness in body structure- stripes on the fur, moles, unequal number of suckers on the tentacles... While elements of the inanimate environment are always perfectly symmetrical(look at a snowflake, a drop of water or a grain of sand under a microscope).

Examples of inanimate nature

Everything that does not have “life” can be divided into three categories:

  • Components inanimate nature (atmosphere, water, lithospheric plates, snow, etc.);
  • objects in which metabolic processes have stopped(dead animal, dried plant);
  • And synthetic substances created by people (plastic, polyethylene, asphalt).

The most curious thing is that many minerals (for example, oil) can be attributed to two types at once! After all, these are, according to geologists, the decomposed remains of ancient animals, which turned into a flammable substance under the influence of pressure and enormous temperatures.

In this article we will look at the differences between living and inanimate nature.

In this article we will try to provide you with as much information as possible about living and inanimate nature. It will be especially useful for children who are just beginning to explore this world.

Ocean, water, stream, river: living or inanimate nature and why?

Nature is ours the world, which is not created by man. Nature can be relatively divided into two categories: living and nonliving. To understand the difference between “non-living” and “living” nature, you first need to understand the definitions and differences between them.

Of course, all objects that belong to living nature have the ability to grow, breathe, and develop. That is, this group includes: people, animals, plants and fungi and even microorganisms. In other words, this is everything that decorates the world, gives life and movement to the Earth. But without inanimate nature, all organisms and plants cannot exist; it is like a source of life, and for some species even a place of residence.

For example, water, a river or other bodies of water are objects of inanimate nature, and serve as an excellent home for fish, algae, etc. But all bodies of water make up the hydrosphere of our planet, which is necessary for the existence and life of all living objects.

Rivers and streams are the arteries of our planet, thanks to which water fills lakes and seems to circulate throughout the earth. Many living beings live in water, but bodies of water separately are not considered living beings, because... have the simplest molecular composition, do not breathe, do not grow and do not feed. This group also includes other objects and phenomena, for example, the sky, soil, stones, minerals, wind, rainbows, rain and many others. seasonal changes and phenomena.

Air, clouds, rainbow: living or inanimate nature and why?

Despite the fact that there is a close connection between living and inanimate nature, there is also a difference between them. Living nature directly depends on inanimate nature, because thanks to sunlight Plants grow, photosynthesis occurs, and the sun is the main source of life. Without water and air, no creature can survive, and soil is the place of life for many living objects.

Also, inanimate nature includes various weather and seasonal phenomena. For example, a rainbow can be seen after rain in summer, cloudy sky It is more often observed in autumn, and in winter - the sky is covered with lead clouds from which snowflakes fall.

It was from inanimate nature that life itself emerged, which is considered primary. And everything that we have created does not belong to the objects of pristine nature. Only with the help of the materials that the Earth provided us was man able to develop and create everything that he has today.



The distinctive characteristics of inanimate nature are:

  • Inability to move.
  • Inability to breathe, eat, reproduce, change. But over the years, many objects of inanimate nature can change their state of aggregation. For example, a stone can be ground into dust, or the simplest example is the circulation of water. It falls as rain, and after the sun heats the soil, the water evaporates, that is, it takes on the state of steam. And also, in sub-zero weather, the water acquires the state of ice or snow.
  • Failure to grow. Of course, mountains change in size, but they do not increase through cell division, as happens in living objects.

Active volcano: living or inanimate nature and why?

Of course, to many people the volcano may seem alive, especially during an eruption. In fact, this is not so. Volcanoes belong to inanimate nature; at a minimum, it can be designated as the thinnest place on the earth’s crust.

An eruption occurs due to the degassing of magma. The eruption principle is reminiscent of sparkling water or champagne, which is shaken before opening. And in those places where the ground is not tightly covered and lava comes out, sometimes with such pressure that a crater is formed inside the volcano.



Volcanoes are objects of inanimate nature, because lava does not move using its own capabilities, but due to accumulations of gas inside. And in the process of movement of lithospheric plates, volcanoes are formed, through which magma passes out. While magma rises under pressure through the crater of the volcano, it heats up and turns into lava. But there are times when the pressure is not high, and due to this, the magma only approaches the throat of the volcano.

Sun, Moon, Earth, planet, celestial bodies: living or inanimate nature and why?

It’s hard to believe, but the huge Sun, which can warm the entire planet, is the same star as the other stars in the sky, but it is located closer to the Earth and that is why it seems so huge. A star is a huge flaming ball of gas.



Sun and moon

From solar energy, the existence of all living beings and objects directly depends. But despite the fact that the sun releases energy, it, like all other stars, celestial bodies and planets do not belong to living nature. After all, in order to distinguish between living and inanimate object, you need to characterize an object or phenomenon according to the following characteristics:

  • Ability to exchange information, generate energy
  • Ability for self-development and growth
  • Reaction to stimuli
  • Ability to reproduce
  • Ability to breathe and eat

Of course, all living organisms have all or some of these characteristics. Inanimate objects or phenomena are not capable of having many of these functions, but there are exceptions, such as comets, the Earth, which rotates around its axis, and the Sun, which emits energy for our planet, and many others.

Soil: living or inanimate nature and why?

Nature is all the objects, matter, bodies that surround us and were created without human help. They distinguish between living and inanimate nature, some move, grow and disappear, while others do not change for millennia. The existence of such groups is simply impossible separately; thanks to everything that primary inanimate nature gives us, we exist.

The sun gives vital energy, it is impossible to live without water - these are the veins of our planet that help develop and moisturize the soil in which plants grow and other living organisms live.

For us, soil is a necessary condition for life. This is the top loose layer of the planet on which living beings live and plants grow. The soil consists of sand, clay, water, inorganic and organic substances, and the dark color is given by the presence of humus and humus. The more of these substances, the more fertile the land, which is why black soil is considered the most valuable.



The soil saturates the plants with various nutrients, water and minerals, which promotes the growth and development of fruits. But at the same time, the earth is the main habitat, both inside and on the surface.

All pollution, when a person throws out waste of non-plant or animal origin, affects the composition of the earth, as a result. Plants that feed from contaminated soil may die or bear poisoned fruit.

Tree, tree leaf, stump: living or inanimate nature and why?

The main characteristic of living nature is the ability to grow and develop. Trees belong to the class of living nature, because has various abilities that are typical for such a group. For example, a tree grows, feeds on water and humus that is in the soil, some bear fruit, and also die, although they have a very long life span.

  • The leaves that are on the tree are living nature, even when the leaf falls off. It turns into humus under the influence of living microorganisms.
  • As for stumps, this part of the tree also belongs to living nature. With the help of roots, the stump also absorbs nutrients from the soil to maintain life, otherwise the tree simply dries out. But if a tree is cut down for firewood, it is no longer considered living nature, but more like material for construction or kindling a fire.


Trees and other plants are incredibly essential to our lives, thanks to photosynthesis, which is only possible with the help of plants - we breathe. We eat fruits and get all the necessary vitamins and substances. Flowers are pleasing to the eye and bring a lot of pleasure. Of course, the role of plants in our lives is huge and that is why we need to appreciate and care for the environment, because our lives depend on it.

Flower, grass: living or inanimate nature and why?

Already at the beginning of spring, as soon as everything around begins to melt, the first snowdrops break through the snow. With the advent of spring, all nature wakes up, grass appears, buds and leaves bloom.

  • Unconditionally, all plants belong to the group of living nature, this is because they know how to grow, feed from the soil with water and minerals, just as all living objects, flowers and grass, die. Flowers can even breathe, only in reverse side, instead of oxygen, they inhale carbon dioxide. Thus, they cleanse our environment and give all living beings the opportunity to breathe. Therefore, forests are considered lungs of the planet and it is strictly forbidden to chop them.


  • Living and inanimate nature are one and depend on one another. At the same time, one must always remember that inanimate nature is pristine and primary, and living beings have an influence on the structure and objects of inanimate nature. For example, a person dries out a swamp, cuts down trees, which radically changes the structure of the air, throws garbage and waste into water bodies and onto the ground, which negatively affects the living conditions. Some animals also dig holes and change the condition of the soil.

From inanimate nature, all creatures and organisms draw vital energy, without air, water, solar heat and soil life is simply impossible.

Growing and picked nut: living or inanimate nature and why?

Nuts are food of plant origin, contain the whole complex AK, rich in B vitamins, vegetable proteins, etc. This is a very filling product, and one of the most favorite for many animals, so before winter, thrifty animals prepare a large supply of nuts for the winter.

Of course, the nut is part of the tree, and while it hangs on it, it is also considered to be living nature. After all, a nut grows, develops, feeds and dies. Despite the fact that nuts can be stored for a very long time, over time, under the influence of microorganisms, the nut disappears and dries out.



All plants belong to living nature, ranging from the single-celled ciliate slipper to giant trees like the baobab. Despite the fact that plants do not move over distances, they can move their leaves, turn towards the sun, grow, and breathe carbon dioxide and multiply. All units of flora need food, which is obtained from soil and water. Of course, after a plant dies, it falls into the class of inanimate nature, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s leaves, flowers or fruits.

Plants are all, of course, beneficial, because... cleanse our world of various secretions and allow us to breathe oxygen. But besides this, plant food contains a large number of nutrients and vitamins, which is why it is so important to consume vegetables and fruits in your diet every day.

Similar objects of living and inanimate nature: list

The fact that living and inanimate nature are very closely related is extremely clear; it is quite easy to determine the difference between these concepts, even intuitively. There are a lot of differences between objects of living and inanimate nature; in some cases the characteristics are obvious, but there are cases that we can confuse due to the fact that the object of inanimate nature is endowed with the abilities of another group, for example:

  • Clouds, sea ​​waves, The Earth and others have the ability to move, the main thing is to understand that this is facilitated by phenomena of inanimate origin. Volcanic eruptions are also part of inanimate nature, although many consider it alive.
  • The ability to grow in crystals and stalactites in caves, but this is also due to the fact that the increase does not occur due to living microorganisms, therefore such objects belong to inanimate nature.
  • Old age and dying are inherent in living beings and organisms, but inanimate objects also have such abilities. For example, stars are born, grow, increase gradually and are destroyed; weathered and thus the rocks crumble and crumble, but this process is carried out under the merger external factors.
  • Another similarity for many objects of living and inanimate nature is the force of gravity, earth, water, animals, plants, stones and others, are susceptible to physical laws nature.
  • Also, there are similarities in appearance, for example, shells and lichens can look like stones, many bacteria and mineral conglomerates, etc.
  • In both groups of nature there are chemical reactions. For living organisms, this may be metabolism, and in inanimate nature, it may be the burning of peat after lightning. This also includes the formation of minerals and minerals.
  • Many people believe that plants and mushrooms belong to the class of inanimate nature, but this is not so, despite the fact that plants cannot move from place to place, they can still move their leaves and turn towards the sun. In addition, the ability to grow, develop and die indicates that representatives of such classes clearly belong to living nature.

In order to fully understand the similarities and differences between living and inanimate nature, one must remember that the creations of inanimate nature are characterized by resistance to external factors and weak variability. Living beings know how to breathe, develop, live and die. The formation of life is a normal natural stage in the development of matter, and since Inanimate nature originally appeared, then many scientists do not consider the Earth to be the only cosmic body, on which there is life.

Video: Objects and phenomena of living and inanimate nature

Definition of inanimate nature

Everything that surrounds us, unless, of course, it is technology or any other element created by the hands of mankind, is natural component, which is usually divided into living and nonliving. The first implies plants, animals, as well as the person himself. That is, this is everything that moves, develops, and requires certain resources for its life. Inanimate nature, in turn, represents all elements that do not breathe, do not grow or develop. Unlike all living organisms, they have a simpler structure. They do not need air, food or any other vital resource. Simply put, they don't live. Moreover, over several hundreds, thousands and even millions of years, all inanimate nature remains unchanged.

Is it really lifeless?

For many years, not a single philosopher could give an exact definition of the concept of life. Moreover, modern and outdated dictionaries describe this word very vaguely. So, life represents several specific phenomena that follow each other in one organism or object and cease after the lapse of time. It is worth noting that inanimate nature also exists according to these laws. To be more precise, it does not contradict them. This has already been proven more than once using the example of crystals. Many scientists who worked with them stopped perceiving them as non-living components of nature. The fact is that crystals have a certain set of feelings. They may age, make sounds (mostly of discontent), rest, develop, or get tired. Many metals or alloys are characterized by memory. Under various actions they may become deformed, but then gradually return to their original state. However, among the others, the experiment with silver ions most accurately shows how similar the components of living and nonliving nature are. They begin to recover when they come into contact with active metals. When you observe a process through a microscope, and not using examples of equations or chemical formulas, you can notice the similarities between them and plants - both develop in the same way. Thus, one can still argue about the “soullessness” of inanimate nature. However, this hypothesis remains only a guess, as long as there is no concrete evidence.

Change of inanimate nature according to the seasons

Each season introduces us to new natural elements. Some of them are mutually replaced by each other, others are characteristic only for a certain time. For example, inanimate nature in winter is supplemented with snow, icicles, and ice. They cover living natural elements, as well as the creations of mankind. Then the season changes to spring, and the winter components of nature turn into water. When summer comes, it evaporates and becomes small droplets rising into the air. After this, in the fall, the water returns to the earth in the form of rainfall. Winter, in turn, again turns it into ice crystals.

Dead but important

There is no point in arguing about whether inanimate nature is truly such, or whether it develops in the same way as its living sister, only much more slowly. One thing's for sure, she's playing important role in the life of the planet.

The purpose of the lesson: introduce children to living organisms and their properties.

Tasks:

  • develop the ability to observe, think logically and creatively,
  • bring up careful attitude to all living things around us,
  • contribute to the formation in the minds of students of a single, holistically colored image of the world around them as home, their own and common to all people, to all living things,
  • carry out systematization and expansion of children's ideas about living and inanimate nature, developing interest in their knowledge, enriching moral experience, nurturing love for the surrounding nature.

Equipment:

  • painting depicting a children's playground
  • containers with soil, sprouted bean seeds
  • newspaper "We and Nature"

During the classes.

1. Organizational moment

2. Self-determination for educational activities. Statement of a problematic question.

There is no person who has not heard or uttered with admiration the phrase “What nature! Beauty!”, “I was in nature.” What is it nature? Let's try to answer this question.

Let's mentally go out into the yard (a picture depicting a children's playground is attached to the board). In front of us is a children's playground. Look carefully at this picture. Name what is created by human hands and what exists independently of us.

(in accordance with the children’s answers, the teacher writes down the named objects in the columns “Created by human hands”, “Objects of nature”).

So, what do we consider natural objects? What is nature?

Conclusion: Everything that is not created by human hands, and we ourselves are called nature.

3. Updating knowledge

What can we attribute to nature?

(the teacher sets the hourglass and the children express their opinions for 1 minute, which the teacher records on the board)

4 . Design and recording of new knowledge.

Now let's test ourselves!

(the teacher opens a board with a table of living nature objects; the teacher comments on each section, and the children say which of the above applies to each section.)

First of all, nature refers to:

  • Human
  • animals (animals, birds, insects, fish)
  • plants (trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs)
  • mushrooms (those growing on the ground and trees, single-celled mushrooms that are used, for example, in baking, and lactic acid mushrooms)
  • microorganisms that can be seen, for example, in a drop of water. These include bacteria, microbes, and viruses.
  • rocks that exist for millions of years, minerals
  • air is a mixture of invisible gases, it consists of the earth’s atmosphere and water (it is everywhere: in the oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, in the soil, there is a lot of water in the atmosphere)
  • nature includes the Sun, the Moon-satellite of the Earth, the Earth, stars and planets

The diversity of nature amazes and delights people. To understand it, people classify all natural objects. Nature is divided into living and nonliving.

(Open the board with a table of natural objects.)

Let's think about what natural objects we can classify as living and what as inanimate nature.

By what criteria were we able to combine objects of living nature into one group, what do they have in common?

During the discussion, children find out the signs of living organisms, which the teacher writes on the board:

  • nutrition
  • breath
  • reproduction

5. Physical education minute

Please rise from your seats. I will ask riddles. If the answer relates to living nature, then you crouch, and if it relates to inanimate nature, then you clap.

We all like it
Without him we cry
And as soon as it appears -
We look away and hide:
It's very bright
And it's hot! (Sun)

Is this a bump?
No, not a bump.
Is this a barrel?
No, not a barrel.
Maybe a pumpkin with a tail
Came to visit us
Snuck under the porch
And pretty grunted? (piggy)

The flower is fragrant
A flying flower sat down. (butterfly)

Over forests, cities,
Over the expanses of fields
Caravans are passing by
Unprecedented ships.
Heading around the earth
These miracle ships. (clouds)

Alena stands:
Green scarf,
Slim figure
White sundress (birch)

Strange star
Fell from the sky.
It lay on my palm -
And she disappeared. (snowflake)

6. Updating knowledge

Can living organisms turn into non-living ones?

Every living organism exists for a certain time, and then it dies, and new ones appear in its place. But if we do not take care of plants and animals, they may die before their time, so we must always remember that nature is our generous friend, she creates everything the necessary conditions for our life, in return we must protect and increase its wealth. And how to do it? How can we show care for nature?

7. Practical experience.

Today we will try to increase natural resources, let's plant the bean seeds that we sprouted in one of the previous lessons. If we do this correctly, with love and care, then the sprouts that appear will help us understand the topic of the next lesson “Plants and Animals” (children plant sprouts in the ground)

8. Consolidation of what has been learned.

What is nature? Answer the question using the reference chart on the board.

(Everything that existed, exists and will exist regardless of man and his efforts is called nature.)

What objects of living and inanimate nature can you name?

What signs of wildlife objects have you learned?

Man is also a part of nature. The creative group of our class prepared a photo newspaper “We and Nature.”

(Students hang a newspaper on the board)

The main task of man is to preserve and increase natural resources. After all, nature is ours big friend! Let's save nature!

9. Reflection on learning activities in the lesson.

When you come home and your parents ask you what you learned in class, what will you tell them?

Let's fill our mood screen - today is a tree. If you didn’t like the lesson, you will glue a yellow leaf on the tree, if you liked it, then a green one, and if you really liked it, then glue a flower.

It is customary to speak and write about living nature with primary school: animals, birds, plants, insects constitute the object of the closest observation. Inanimate bodies are somehow ignored and less interesting, so sometimes even adults cannot determine what belongs to inanimate nature. Let's finally understand this issue of natural history, especially since Unified State Exam tests and the State Academic Academy periodically return to children's questions!

The concept of "nature" from the point of view natural sciences includes everything that is not created by people. Living nature includes all living organisms, and nonliving nature includes all material bodies that appeared without the conscious participation of humans. It is quite easy to distinguish a living cat, for example, from a non-living stone, but confusion often arises with the details. Here is a cobblestone - a material body of inanimate nature. And brick is no longer a natural body, but an artificial one. A block of marble is a natural body, and David from under Michelangelo’s chisel is art and, accordingly, its nature of the same name.

If we distinguish natural objects from artificial ones is quite realistic, knowing their origin, then the differences between living and non-living things can sometimes be completely unobvious. To determine them, it is necessary to know the structure and functioning of the object of study. Bodies of inanimate nature:

  • do not exchange matter, energy and information with the environment (do not eat, do not breathe, do not release energy and substances);
  • are not capable of self-reproduction;
  • do not develop;
  • do not respond to stimuli;
  • have a simple structure.

The combination of these features allows us to speak of an object as inanimate.

In addition, there is a certain pattern in the existence of systems of inanimate nature: the principle of least action is relevant for them. The system always tends from a less stable state to a more stable one, maintaining a minimum of surface energy. Nonliving things do not resist influence environment, while the living fights against it in order to continue the normal functioning of the body.

Inanimate nature: interesting examples

Stone, star, water, ice, air, earth - all these are bodies of inanimate nature, possessing all its characteristics. Their determination does not cause any difficulties. But, for example, a tree: undoubtedly, a living organism that grows, develops, reproduces, reacts to the world around it and dies over time. What about a fallen tree in the forest? When the roots stopped pumping nutrients and the foliage stopped renewing itself, the lying tree ceased to be an organism and became a body - inanimate nature. Of course, changes occur to it, but under the influence of living organisms or external factors: bacteria cause wood to rot, insects feed on it, the wind breaks it.

In any discussion about what objects belong to inanimate nature, viruses are mentioned as examples - either living organisms, or a complex of organic molecules. The fact is that they do not have a complex cellular structure, but multiply only in foreign cells, assembling from molecules like a crystal. Viruses also have no metabolism. However, they are susceptible natural selection and carry their own genetic code, which is characteristic only of living organisms.

Coral reefs are similar to rock in all respects, but they are created by simple invertebrates coral polyps. This, however, does not make corals (and their colonies - reefs) living objects: polyps are living organisms, after the death of which a calcareous (sometimes organic) skeleton remains, forming the coral. Polyps that feed, reproduce, develop and die are living nature, while coral is non-living.

In natural history classes, children are asked what belongs to objects of inanimate nature: the sun - yes, a tree - no, the Moon - an inanimate body, the GLONASS satellite - an artificial object, water - yes, a stump - ... There are problems with the stump: it seems to almost a tree, but at the same time it feeds, breathes and reproduces somehow completely imperceptibly (and when new shoots appear, it seems that it is no longer a stump, but a tree again). A dead stump, a dried stump is a non-living body, a fresh one is a crippled living tree. Mushrooms, although not plants, are also alive, flowers in a flower bed are alive, flowers in a vase are dying, and in a herbarium they are inanimate.

As we see, there are intermediate states of objects between living and nonliving matter: the functioning of the body after death is no longer possible, but individual cells and tissues are still alive. But plant seeds exhibit all the properties of inanimate bodies: their metabolism is extremely slow, they do not react to stimuli, and do not reproduce (for example, in a bag in the refrigerator). Many plants look dead in winter. This is called the state of hidden life, and differs from the dead in that in favorable conditions the body comes to life.