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Dirt is a mixture of dead plant, bits of rock, and microorganisms. Only the microorganisms are alive.
If you count all the things that live in soil (or dirt as you called it), then yes it is. Even a very small amount of soil has millions of microscopic fungi, animals and plants living in it. Soil also breathes, that is, it takes in oxygen from the air and releases carbon dioxide from the living things that are inside of it.
If you discount all the things that live inside the soil then it is not alive. The minerals that make up soil or dirt are not alive. Most soils in the world are made up of silicon, iron, calcium, and different amounts of different types of pulverized rock depending on how the soil formed and what its parent material or bedrock is. Those aspects of soil are not alive.
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Fran1. Plants are producers. They produce water and nutrients from the soil and convert them into sugars and energy. "Dirt" (or what should better be termed "soil") only contains minerals, chemicals, and decomposed organic matter. It does not provide anything. Remember, even though soil may contain living fungi and bacteria (primitive types of plant), the soil itself is only the niche for these microscopic organisms.
2. Plants contain cells. A cell is the simplest most basic unit of life (one-celled organisms like the ameba is a classic example). A cell contains organelles that allow it to consume nutrients, repair itself, respirate, and excreet waste. A cell contains DNA and the RNA necessary to reproduce itself. Soil only contains dead cells from organic matter and contains no DNA to reproduce itself.
3. Plants can grow. Under conditions favorable enough for a specific plant, cell growth occurs. Plants respond to the sunlight and convert the energy through photosynthesis. Soil does not grow. Soil can move through erosion or is carried by the wind as dust particles, making it appear that dirt "grows," but this is a moving and settling of soil and not actual growth.
4. Plants can die. All lifeforms on the earth have a mortality rate. When plants, bacteria, fungi, or any plant-like organism does not get conditions suitable for survival, they cease respiration and nutrient uptake, stop growing, and decompose. Soil can only change form (e..g., course clay to fertile), and the form only goes from non-living to non-living. Again, the microscopic organism within the soil can die, but these can be distinguished from soil that does not contain such organisms.
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Is mud a living thing?
No, mud is not a living thing. It is a mixture of water and soil particles. Living organisms can be found in mud, such as bacteria and fungi, but the mud itself is not alive.
IS dirt multi cellular or unicellular?
Dirt is not a living organism and therefore does not have cells, whether unicellular or multicellular. Dirt is a complex mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, air, and living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. These living organisms found in dirt are multicellular, but dirt itself is not considered to be multicellular or unicellular.
Is a clone a living or non living thing?
A clone is a living thing because it is an exact genetic replica of another organism. Clones can grow, develop, and reproduce just like any other living organism.
Is fern a living or non-living thing?
living
Is a fossil a living or non living thing?
A fossil is a non-living thing. It is the preserved remains or impression of a once-living organism.
