There are seven processes that are common to living things. These seven processes are movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion and nutrition.
MRS GREN
Living things have certain life processes in common. There are seven things that they need to do to count as being alive. The phrase MRS GREN is a way to remember them:
| M | Movement | All living things move, even plants |
| R | Respiration | Getting energy from food |
| S | Sensitivity | Detecting changes in the surroundings |
| G | Growth | All living things grow |
| R | Reproduction | Making more living things of the same type |
| E | Excretion | Getting rid of waste |
| N | Nutrition | Taking in and using food |
It can be easy to tell if something is living or not. A teddy bear might look like a bear, but it can't do any of the seven things it needs to be able to do to count as being alive.
What about a car? A car can move, it gets energy from petrol (like nutrition), it might have a car alarm (sensitivity), and it gets rid of waste gases through its exhaust pipe (excretion). But it can't grow or make baby cars. So a car is not alive.
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