Question

The teacher makes an argument to the class for why fire could be considered a living thing and then asks what is wrong with that argument. Tiana raises her hand and replies with one characteristic of life that fire does not have. Which of these could have been Tiana's response?
A.) Fire does not grow and develop.
B.) Fire cannot reproduce.
C.) Fire does not have genetic material.
D.) Fire does not use energy.

Answer 1

Tiana's response could have been B.) Fire cannot reproduce. This is a clear characteristic of living things; they possess the ability to reproduce, either sexually or asexually, which fire does not do. While options A, C, and D pertain to characteristics of life, the inability to reproduce is a fundamental aspect often highlighted when discussing living organisms.