Contrast growth in living and nonliving things

When you talk about growth, it refers to development either in size, state or ability, the capacity. Growth in living organisms are resulted from acquiring nutrients, being able to function in adaptation, irritability, reproduction and excretion. On contrary, these functions are absent in nonliving things. When you say growth in nonliving things it’s either by addition of matter or magnitude. The process is called accretion but this doesn’t mean maturation or aging in living organisms. Maybe rusting or oxidation is caused by the chemical change, toxification but not growth just chemical reaction.  

What have scientists learned about plant behavior by studying the dodder plant