Which statement describes a living thing?

• A. Organism
• B. Organ
• C. Tissue
• D. Cell

Answer: (A)

Living things are organisms—individuals that can carry out life processes like growing, obtaining energy, responding to the environment, and reproducing. An organism is the whole living entity. The other terms describe parts inside an organism: an organ is a structure made of tissues that performs a specific function; a tissue is a group of similar cells working together; a cell is the basic unit of life, which can be alive but is not, by itself, a complete living thing in the usual sense. So the best description of a living thing is an organism, which can be a single cell or a complex system of many cells.