The living beings perform certain vital activities which are essential to keep them live and are called as characterstics of livingness. Such as
(i) Movement:
All living beings exhibit movements and most of the animals exhibit locomotion and others exhibit organ movements. Plants except unicellular plants do not exhibit locomotion but they exhibit Organ movements such as opening and closing of flowers, leaves etc.
(ii) Respiration:
Respiration is an essential feature of all living beings. It is a bio-chemical reaction which takes place in the living cells to obtain energy. (ATP). This energy is used to perform various vital activities.
(iii) Irritability:
All living being are capable to respond environmental changes such as change in temperature, light intensity, water composition etc.
(iv) Growth:
All the living beings exhibit growth but it is different in plants and animals.
(v) Reproduction:
All living beings reproduce to increase their own number. The characters through genes pass from generation to generation in the reproduction.