Which of the following is not a characteristic of all living things?

Which of the following is not a characteristic of all living things?

A. response to the environment

B. ability to move

C. growth and development

D. ability to reproduce

Answer: B. ability to move

Another interesting fact that can be derived from this classification is the inability of all living organisms to display a certain attribute or function, in this case, movement. Even though a lot of organisms can get around, some life forms including plants, fungi and some species of the sea almost do not have any form of mobility. The essential characteristics shared by all living organisms include the capacity to interact with the environment, gain and develop, reproduce, metabolize, contain cells and possess the capability to change over a certain period. These traits in sum qualify life, irrespective of the mobility of the organism in question. For example, plants are capable of peristomal responses to such stimuli as light and gravity, undergo vital growth and development, reproduce sexually and asexually, and metabolize, but all this without motion. Hence, although many things move and many things that are alive, displacement does not define life.