How can something grow but not be alive?

How can something grow but not be alive?

Growth by accretion A non-living thing does not grow the same way a living thing does. Some non-living things seem to display growth, however, the growth occurs by accretion rather than by metabolic reactions.

Can a living thing produce a crystal?

Many living organisms are able to produce crystals, for example calcite and aragonite in the case of most molluscs or hydroxylapatite in the case of vertebrates.

Are there non-living things that grow?

Non-living things “grow” by accretion. It occurs through adding materials externally. For example, A snowball may increase in size due to the accumulation of smaller units of its own to its outer surface.

Do crystals have DNA?

Crystals often contain the elements of silica or calcium. They do not have DNA.

Can a crystal be considered a living organism?

While crystals are not technically considered living beings or organisms, they do hold some specific characteristics that are required to determine something as alive, such as a crystal’s ability to grow. In order to call something a living organism, it has to be able to breathe, grow, eat, reproduce and develop.

What happens to a crystal as it grows?

A crystal starts off very small and will grow when more atoms are automatically being added during the natural growing process. The process of crystals growing is called crystallization. Influenced by surrounding pressure and temperature, a specific shape of crystal will eventually be formed.

Is it true that crystals are not alive?

The conservative and general consensus is that Crystals are NOT alive. It is based predominantly on a rather narrow bandwidth of what constitutes as alive. If we would consider this as a philosophical exercise and expand the definition of “life”, then, this question would become interesting.

Can a crystal be compared to a cell?

So while the crystal consists of a cell, it can’t be compared to cells you’ll find in the human body for example. Where cells in the human body consist out of many different parts with each their individual function, a cell you’ll find in a crystal only has a singular function.

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