Final answer:
The characteristic indicating an object is abiotic is that it has a crystalline structure because such structures lack the biological complexities of life and do not meet the criteria for life that biologists use, such as the ability to respond to stimuli or reproduce.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine if the new object is abiotic or not alive, one must observe characteristics that indicate a lack of life processes. Given your observations, the characteristic that would indicate the object is abiotic is that the object has a crystalline structure. Living organisms, according to biology, exhibit several key characteristics, including the ability to grow, reproduce, maintain homeostasis, respond to stimuli, process energy, and evolve over time. Crystalline structures, unlike cells, are inorganic and lack the complex biochemistry necessary for life. Therefore, they do not meet the criteria that biologists use to define life, which includes order, sensitivity or response to environmental stimuli, reproduction, adaptation, growth and development, regulation, energy processing, and evolution.