Living things are organisms that have life. They carry out activities such as feeding, breathing, movement, reproduction, growth, and response to changes in their environment. Examples of living things include human beings, animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms.

All living things show the following features:

Movement

Every living organism moves from one place to another or moves parts of its body.

Respiration

Living things take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide. They use this oxygen to release energy from food.

Nutrition

Every living organism needs food. Plants make their own food, while animals eat plants or other animals.

Irritability (Response to Stimuli)

Living things sense and react to changes in their surroundings.

Growth

Living organisms increase in size and weight over time.

Excretion

Living things remove waste products from their bodies.

Reproduction

Living organisms produce young ones in order to continue their species.

Death

Every living organism will eventually die.

A habitat is the natural home or environment where an organism lives. It provides food, water, air, shelter, and the right conditions for survival.

Examples of habitats include:

• Forest


• Desert


• Grassland


• River


• Pond


• Sea


• Mountain


• Soil

There are three major groups of habitats:

1. Terrestrial Habitat (Land Habitat)

These are habitats found on land.

Examples include:

• Forest


• Desert


• Grassland


• Mountain


• Savanna

2. Aquatic Habitat (Water Habitat)

These are habitats found in water.

Examples include:

• River


• Lake


• Pond


• Sea


• Ocean


• Swamp

3. Arboreal Habitat (Tree Habitat)

These are habitats found on trees.

Examples: birds, monkeys, and squirrels.

• It Provides food, water, and shelter.


• It Supports survival and reproduction of organisms.


• It Maintains balance in the ecosystem.


• It Supports biodiversity by providing suitable living conditions.

Adaptation is the special feature that helps an organism to survive in its habitat. These features may be structural (body parts) or behavioural (ways of acting).

Examples of Adaptations

1. Desert Habitat

• Camels store fat in their humps for energy.


• Camels have long legs to keep their bodies away from hot sand.


• Desert plants (cactus) have spines instead of leaves to reduce water loss.

2. Aquatic Habitat

• Fish have fins for swimming.


• Fish have gills for breathing in water.


• Water birds have webbed feet for paddling.

3. Forest Habitat

• Monkeys have strong arms for climbing.


• Lions have sharp teeth and claws for hunting.

4. Arboreal Habitat

• Birds have light bodies and feathers for flight.


• Squirrels have claws for climbing trees.

Organisms in a habitat interact in many ways. These include:

1. Competition

Organisms fight or struggle for food, water, space, sunlight, and mates.

Example:

• Plants in a forest compete for sunlight.


• Lions compete for meat.

2. Predation

A predator kills and eats another organism called the prey.

Examples:

• Lion (predator) and goat (prey)


• Hawk (predator) and chick (prey)

3. Parasitism

A parasite lives on or inside a host and feeds on it, causing harm.

Examples:

• Lice on human hair


• Tapeworm inside the intestine

4. Mutualism

Two organisms live together and both benefit.

Example:

• Bees and flowers

5. Commensalism

One organism benefits and the other is not harmed.

Example:

• Remora fish riding on a shark

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Summary

Living things are organisms that carry out life processes such as movement, respiration, nutrition, growth, reproduction, and response to their environment. A habitat is the natural home of an organism, providing food, water, shelter, and suitable conditions for survival. Organisms adapt to their habitats and interact with each other through relationships like competition, predation, and mutualism.