A student observed that an alum crystal kept in a saturated solution grows bigger in size over time. Why is…

A student observed that an alum crystal kept in a saturated solution grows bigger in size over time. Why is this growth NOT considered a characteristic of a living organism?
  1. The growth happens from the outside by accumulating external layers
  2. The crystal absorbs organic nutrients directly from the solution
  3. The alum crystal cannot change its place on its own
  4. The alum crystal produces smaller crystals around itself

Solution

Living growth occurs from within the body through cell division, whereas crystal growth is a non-living process of adding matter externally.

Asked in: Homi Bhabha Practice

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