Charan says that a wooden log is non-living as it cannot move. Charu counters it by saying that it is living because it is made of wood obtained from trees. Give your arguments in favour or against the two statements given by Charan and Charu.
Charan's statement is correct while Charu's statement is incorrect. A wooden log is non-living.
Although movement is one characteristic of living beings, the wooden log is non-living not just because it cannot move, but because it does not show any of the essential characteristics of living beings.
The wooden log does not grow, does not respire, does not need food, does not excrete, does not respond to stimuli, and does not reproduce.
Even though the wood originally came from a living tree, once the tree is cut and the wood is separated from the tree, the cells in the wood die. The wooden log is no longer living because it cannot carry out any life processes.
The wood is a dead material obtained from a once-living tree, similar to how leather is obtained from animals but is itself non-living.
Explanation
The chapter explains on Page 6 that all living beings share common characteristics - they show movement, need food, grow, respire, excrete, respond to stimuli, reproduce and eventually die. Absence of any of these features indicates that they are non-living things. The chapter also mentions on Page 5 that when a living being is not able to exhibit all of the above mentioned characteristics, despite the availability of all resources needed for being alive, it is said to be dead. A wooden log, though made from wood obtained from trees, does not perform any life processes and is therefore non-living. The tree was living, but the separated wood is dead material.
Solution Steps
Charan's statement is correct: a wooden log is non-living.
Charu's statement is incorrect: being made of wood from trees does not make it living.
The wooden log lacks all essential characteristics of living beings: it does not grow, respire, need food, excrete, respond to stimuli, or reproduce.
When wood is separated from the tree, the cells die and can no longer carry out life processes.
Wood is dead material from a once-living tree, similar to leather being non-living despite coming from animals.