From Plants to People: What All Living Things Have in Common

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 Have you ever wondered what makes something truly alive? From tiny ants to giant whales, or even the plants on your windowsill, every living thing shares a few basic life functions. Surprisingly, all the complicated stuff happening inside our bodies (and every other living organism) can actually be grouped into just three main categories.

Let’s break it down into simple terms.



1. Staying Alive: The Body’s Daily Maintenance (Sustentative Functions)

First and foremost, living things need to maintain their own existence. Think of it as your body's version of housekeeping. This includes:

  • Taking in food or nutrients

  • Using those nutrients to build or repair body parts

  • Getting rid of waste your body doesn’t need

All of this determines how much you grow, how much energy you have, and how well your body functions. This category is called sustentative because it helps “sustain” your life from moment to moment.

Imagine your body as a house. It needs regular cleaning, repairs, and supplies to stay livable. That’s what sustentative functions do.




2. Making More Life: The Power to Reproduce (Generative Functions)

The second big thing living beings do is reproduce. That simply means creating new life.

Whether it’s a plant spreading seeds, a cat having kittens, or a single-celled organism splitting in two, reproduction allows life to continue. This process is called generative, because it’s about generating more life.

Reproduction might look different across species, but the goal is always the same: to pass life forward.


3. Working Together: How the Body Communicates with Itself (Correlative Functions)

Lastly, the parts of a living body need to talk to each other to work as a whole. This is where correlative functions come in.

Think about how your hand pulls away when you touch something hot, or how your heart beats faster when you’re scared. These are examples of how different parts of your body communicate and react together.

Without this internal teamwork, your body wouldn’t be able to move, think, or respond to the world around you.




So, What Does It Mean to Be Alive?

All living things—no matter how big or small—do these three things:

  1. Stay alive by feeding, growing, and cleaning up (sustentative)

  2. Create new life (generative)

  3. Coordinate and respond within their own bodies (correlative)

That’s it! These three simple functions are the foundation of all life on Earth.

Next time you look at a bird flying, a flower blooming, or even yourself in the mirror, remember: behind it all are these same three life-sustaining actions quietly at work.


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