All life on Earth needs a few basic things to survive. These are food, water, light, air, shelter, and a steady temperature. Occasionally, life can survive without one of these things, for example, in a dark cave. What do living things need to survive?
There are around 8.7 million different types of living things on Earth.
Air
Living things take in gas from the air. They use it to turn food into energy. This is called respiration.
Water
Animals and plants are mostly made from water and need water to stay alive. Animals have to find water to drink, while plants get it from the soil using their roots.
Sunlight
Heat and light from the Sun provide warmth. Most plants and animals need a constant temperature to survive.
Shelter
Animals need shelter to keep themselves and their young safe and at the right.temperature. Shelter also allows them to hide from other animals.
Food
Living things need food to grow, move, and reproduce. Plants use sunlight to make their own food, and animals eat plants or other animals.
Which animals can survive in difficult environments?
Tardigrade
This microscopic animal can survive extreme
temperatures. Tardigrades have been found living in the deep sea, the icy Antarctic, and even around volcanoes.
Anglerfish
The anglerfish survives at very low temperatures
in the deep sea. Most animals would get crushed with so much water pushing down on them.
True or false ?
1. Giant tortoises are the animals that live longest.
2. Tardigrades can survive in space without any air.
3. Bristlecone pine trees can live for up to 5,000 years.
