(1) An animal can move under its own power; a rock cannot. (2) An animal responds to stimulation; a rock does not. (3) An animal
takes in nutrients and breathes; a rock does not. (4) An animal excretes wastes; a rock does not. (5) An animal grows and develops; this is not true of a rock. (6) An animal can reproduce—that is, have offspring—whereas a rock can't. (7) And finally, an animal, but not a rock, can and will die. (8) The characteristics of living things are sharply distinct from those of nonliving things.
