Final answer:
To grow, all organisms require nutrients, energy, and the ability to exchange matter with their environment, which includes the acquisition of water, oxygen, and essential elements necessary for cellular processes and maintenance of homeostasis.
Step-by-step explanation:
To grow, all organisms need essentially three things: nutrients, energy, and the ability to exchange matter with the environment. This exchange is crucial for obtaining the materials required for cellular processes, for waste removal, and for overall maintenance of the organism's internal balance, known as homeostasis. Among these materials, water, oxygen, and various essential elements are typically included.
For example, plants need sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water for photosynthesis, a process through which they create glucose for energy and growth. Similarly, animals require food - which provides both nutrients and energy - and oxygen for respiration, with the exchange of gases typically occurring in the lungs or gills, depending on the organism.
An organism's ability to reproduce and to maintain organization also depends on these exchanges and the input of essential resources, which underscore how interconnected life is with the environment.