Are Trees Living Things? Interesting Facts About Organisms For Kids

Siddharth Shirwadkar
Feb 19, 2024 By Siddharth Shirwadkar
Originally Published on Dec 23, 2021
Edited by Katherine Cook
Fact-checked by Nishtha Dixit
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Large old beech tree with lush green leaves.

Trees are one of the most common sights that you can see in the world.

They make for wonderful sights and even better parts of childhood memories. Climbing a tree is one of the most fun things to do!

What we know about trees and plants comes from a long history of experiments. It goes without saying that the continued existence of plants and trees is what keeps humanity alive.

Their natural process that clears the air of carbon dioxide is essential in order for humanity to survive. The planting of trees and plants is vital for the continual existence of humans.

Are trees living or non-living things?

Are trees living things or non-living things? Are they alive? Here is the answer to this question with many fun facts!

The classification and definition of trees as living things only happened at the beginning of the 20th century. Before that, a tree was deemed a non-living thing. It was only in 1901 that an Indian scientist went on to prove that a plant or a tree is alive and living.

The scientist was Jagdish Chandra Bose. He is also credited for giving the world wireless communication. He discovered this at the Royal Society in London. His experiment proved life in plants through the means of a Crescograph. This device is used to monitor the rate at which a plant grows.

What we know about plants today, about their growth, characteristics like the requirement of sunlight in order to survive and produce their own food, everything we have learned about a plant in school as students are things we take for granted. Trees had to come from somewhere, and the thesis needed support from the scientific world.

The support was provided by Jagdish Chandra Bose.

He was the first to create this thesis that plants, like animals and humans, have something in common with the latter. It was that both are living things.

Now you must be wondering, how did Bose prove his theory of plants being alive and being classified as living things? Bose's search to prove his thesis made use of the Crescograph.

The tool was able to monitor the growth of plants by giving a more magnified view of the growth of the plants.

This gave Bose all the proof he needed to show the world of science a plant was in fact a living thing, similar to animals and humans.

Bose proved that a plant is able to grow, has a nervous system, and its growth depended on different factors. This study was also able to demonstrate that introducing many different stimuli to plants changes the way a plant grows.

This has been considered a defining moment in how the world of science treats plants and is largely related to destroying the old way which believed that plants do not feel things. It is now believed that a plant, like an animal, is able to feel pain and react to changes in the level of light.

Its growth can be stunted by changes in the temperatures of its environments. Essentially, Bose was able to prove that even plants have empathy.

They were able to feel and react to pain. Trees began to be classified not as non-living things, but as living things that show the characteristics of life.

Bose was considered a genius. His work did not only include botany, growing plants but he was also a physicist, biologist, and something of an author. His wide range of skills included archaeology as well as fine arts.

Why do trees need food and water?

Plants and trees are living things, but do they need food and water in order to live?

The answer to that question is yes, plants do need food and water in order to live. Like all living things that are alive, plants need food and water. Essentially, all living things need water in order to live.

However, a plant or a tree needs much more water than most animals in order to grow. Plants and trees store much more water than animals. A plant is about 90% made up of water.

There are several factors that determine how much water a tree or a plant will require. The first factor that dictates the amount of water that a plant or a tree requires is its type.

Plants such as cacti, or similar desert plants, give you an example of plants that may not require as much water to survive. They can grow as well without being watered for days.

People usually think that giving plants extra water means that plants will grow faster, or even better.

This is an example of how half knowledge makes your plant lose life. If you have a plant and have questions about how much water its leaves need, you should see a botanist and understand the type of plant you have.

Town street surrounded by Tall American sycamore trees.

What do plants need to live?

One of the questions people usually ask and search for is what do plants and trees need in order to stay alive and grow to a ripe old age?

Firstly, a plant needs sunlight. It was thought that sunlight was the only light that plants could use, however it has been proved that artificial light can also help them to grow.

The need for light is for a plant to produce the food it consumes. The plant is able to use sunlight in a process known as photosynthesis, using a cell in their body parts, known as chloroplast. The plant will use light to produce glucose.

The glucose that a plant will create during photosynthesis gives it the energy needed to survive. For some plants like the sunflower, for example, sunlight is extremely crucial, and this plant actively searches for areas with sunlight.

Another thing that is needed for a plant to stay alive is air. There are gases in the air that chloroplast cells need in order to create glucose that gives it energy. Light is not the only thing that a plant will need.

The plant takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. This process of respiration is not like most living things, with oxygen being released, and the carbon dioxide utilized. The carbon dioxide is combined in chloroplast cells and food is created in order to grow.

The third thing that is essential for a plant and a tree to stay alive is water. The plant is able to get water through its roots.

Roots are used to absorb water from the soil. This is why roots spread out all over the soil looking for water in the soil surrounding the plant.

Roots are perhaps one of the most important parts of a plant, and without roots, water from the surrounding environment will not get to the plant. The journey of water from the roots passes to the leaves through the stem. Water provides essential nutrients that plants and trees need in order to live.

If you give your plant too little water, it will wilt. On the contrary, if a plant takes in too much water, the plant will start to rot and die.

Nutrients needed for trees and plants is also important and, the provision for nutrients is essential. These nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. When these nutrients are not naturally available in the soil in the surrounding environment, they are provided through fertilizers.

The last thing that plants need in order to live and reproduce is free space. A lot of free space is needed in order for plants to grow, as the roots need to spread out to take in water and nutrients. Without a lot of free space, resources could be scarce.

How many living things are there on Earth?

Everything in the world can be generally classified under two categories: non-living things and living things.

Counting how many living things that exist in the world is equivalent to counting the number of hair strands someone has! There are billions if not trillions of living things in the world, and include humans, animals, insects, plants, and many other tiny organisms that you can only see under a microscope.

The number of non-living things is even greater, due to the massive manufacturing capabilities of industries all over the world.

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Written by Siddharth Shirwadkar

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Multimedia and Mass Communication

Siddharth Shirwadkar picture

Siddharth ShirwadkarBachelor of Arts specializing in Multimedia and Mass Communication

Siddharth is a talented content writer with over a year of experience in content writing, based in Mumbai. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Mass Communication from Mithibai College of Arts. With a passion for reading and music, Siddharth has demonstrated his ability to create engaging content that resonates with his audience.

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Fact-checked by Nishtha Dixit

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature

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Nishtha DixitBachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature

Nishtha is an experienced SEO writer and editor, with a passion for writing and self-expression. She is currently pursuing an undergraduate major in Literature and Communication and a minor in Political Science from the University of Delhi. Nishtha has completed a certificate master course in English from the British Council and has been appointed as the editor for the bi-monthly magazine of the University of Delhi.

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