As an expert in the field of biology and natural sciences, I can provide a comprehensive answer to your question about the growth of non-living things. The concept of growth, as it is traditionally understood, is a biological process that is unique to living organisms. Growth in this context involves an increase in size, mass, or complexity, and is typically associated with the development and reproduction of living beings.

**Step 1: Understanding Growth in Living Organisms**
Growth in living organisms is a complex process that involves cell division, also known as mitosis, where a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells. This process is fundamental to the development of multicellular organisms, where it leads to the formation of tissues and organs. Additionally, growth can also refer to an increase in the size of an organism as a whole, which is the result of cell division and the subsequent enlargement of cells.

Metabolism and Growth
Metabolism is another key process that is closely linked to growth. It involves a series of chemical reactions that occur within a living organism to maintain life. This includes the conversion of nutrients into energy (catabolism) and the synthesis of components needed for cellular replication and function (anabolism). Metabolism is essential for growth because it provides the energy and building blocks necessary for cells to divide and for organisms to increase in size.

Step 2: Non-Living Things and Growth
When considering non-living things, the concept of growth becomes more abstract and less applicable in the biological sense. Non-living things do not have cells, do not metabolize, and do not reproduce through cell division. However, there are ways in which non-living things can increase in size or complexity, but these processes are not considered growth in the same way it is for living organisms.

Viruses and the Question of Life
Viruses are often cited in discussions about the boundary between living and non-living entities. They are not considered living organisms because they do not metabolize on their own, grow, or secrete waste products. Instead, viruses require a host cell to replicate, using the host's metabolic machinery to produce new viral particles. This is a form of reproduction, but it is not growth in the traditional sense because viruses do not grow in size or complexity independently.

Physical Growth in Non-Living Things
There are examples of non-living things that can increase in size, such as mountains and lakes. The growth of a mountain, for instance, can occur through the accumulation of sediment or volcanic activity. Similarly, lakes can expand due to the accumulation of water or the erosion of surrounding land. However, these are physical changes that do not involve the biological processes of cell division or metabolism.

Auto-Metabolism and Mitosis
Auto-metabolism and mitosis are processes that are unique to living organisms. Auto-metabolism refers to the self-sustaining metabolic processes that allow organisms to grow and maintain their cellular functions. Mitosis is the process by which a cell divides into two identical cells, leading to growth and the development of multicellular organisms. Non-living things do not possess the cellular machinery or the biochemical pathways necessary to perform these processes.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the growth of non-living things, while it can occur in a physical sense, does not involve the biological processes of auto-metabolism and mitosis that are characteristic of living organisms. The growth of living organisms is a complex and dynamic process that is driven by cell division and metabolism, which are not present in non-living things.

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Viruses are not considered an organism because they do not metabolize, grow, or secrete waste products. Mountains can grow, lakes can grow (answers can grow!) etc. But I think you mean can non-living things auto-metabolise (eat) and perform mitosis (produce new cells) and the answer is, no, well not really.read more >>