growth – the increase in mass and size of an organism

To remember the meaning of growth, use the following mnemonic:

The marks on the wall show growth and how much we've increased in size over the years.

Growth is the increase in size, mass, and complexity of an organism that occurs throughout its life cycle. In living organisms, growth happens through two main processes: cell division (mitosis), where cells multiply to increase the total number of cells, and cell enlargement, where individual cells increase in size. 

Growth requires energy from respiration and raw materials from nutrition. In animals, growth is typically measured by increases in height, weight, or body mass, and it often follows predictable patterns with rapid growth during early development that gradually slows with age. 

Plants show growth throughout their lives, using stem cells that continuously divide to produce new cells for growth in roots, shoots, and leaves.