Which of the following does not exist as a non-living object but is a characteristic of all living things?
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Correct answer: Metabolism, the sum of all internal chemical reactions
Metabolism — the complete set of anabolic (synthesis) and catabolic (breakdown) reactions occurring inside an organism — is unique to living things. Non-living objects may have body mass and chemical compositions, but they do not exhibit self-sustaining internal chemical transformations.
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