Final answer:
A living organism must possess all six characteristics of life: It responds to the environment, grows and develops, produces offspring, maintains homeostasis, has complex chemistry, and consists of cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
A living organism must possess all six characteristics of life:
- It responds to the environment. For example, a plant growing towards sunlight.
- It grows and develops. For example, a seed germinating and growing into a tree.
- It produces offspring. For example, an animal giving birth to babies.
- It maintains homeostasis. For example, a human maintaining a stable body temperature.
- It has complex chemistry. For example, the metabolic processes in a cell.
- It consists of cells. For example, a bacteria is a single-celled organism.
Based on these characteristics, a tree would be considered a living organism as it exhibits all six traits.