The ability to grow in size is characteristic of living organisms. although an icicle may

grow in size over time, it is considered nonliving because there is

(1) an increase in matter, but no increase in the number of icicles

(2) an interaction between the icicle and the environment

(3) no way for the icicle to move away from heat

(4) no metabolic activity present

An icicle might be able to grow in size but that will not make it a living organism because it does not have the capacity to move away from heat and neither does it have any metabolic activity. Options 3 and 4 would be right.

An icicle is just a piece of hanging ice formed from the freezing of the tips of  dripping water. It has the capacity to grow, shrink, or completely melt away depending on the condition of its environment.

Some of the key features of living organisms include movement, growth, and metabolic activities such as reproduction, excretion, respiration, etc.

Even though an icicle can grow, the fact that it cannot move nor carry out metabolic activities makes it non-living.

More on the characteristics of living organisms can be found here: link?

The correct option is number 4. No metabolic activity present

Explanation:

The main characteristic that determines the difference between a living and a non-living component is the metabolic activities that take place in the living organisms.

All living organisms, whether unicellular or multicellular, large or small, carry out a certain set of metabolic activities which are necessary for the organism to stay alive.

As the icicle is not undergoing any metabolic activity it is non-living. Growth in size is a characteristic of life but it is not the basis on which a living and non-living thing can be differentiated.

it takes hundreds of years to become stable.

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