Final answer:
Living organisms differ from nonliving things by their need for continuous energy, complex molecular structures including DNA, the ability to sense and respond to changes, and other life processes such as growth, reproduction, and maintaining homeostasis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Living organisms are distinct from nonliving things by several features. They require continuous energy inputs to carry out life processes, maintain complex molecular structures including DNA that guides their functioning, and consist of cells which are the basic units of life. Living organisms also have the ability to sense and respond to changes in their environment, a process which involves various sensory mechanisms like eyes, ears, and taste buds. Additionally, they can grow, develop, reproduce, and maintain homeostasis to regulate internal conditions.
The defining characteristics of life also include growth, development, reproduction, regulation, and homeostasis. All of these features are interconnected and essential for the organization and functioning of living things, from the cellular level up to the entire organism. These key attributes serve as the basis for how biologists categorize and understand the wide diversity of life forms on our planet.