A person’s environment is not only the physical surroundings but also the emotional and social factor of a person. The environment of a person can be broadly divided into five categories, which are the physical environment, social environment, human environment, biological environment and technological environment. The human environment includes the physical body, mind and emotions of a person. The other categories of environment include the social environment, human culture, physical sciences, information and communication systems, economic and political systems. The environmental factors that exist are usually considered as forces that act on or against a person.

A non-living object or non-living thing is anything that does not require being alive to be affected by it or by its natural environment. Non-living objects are the concepts and residues left by living things such as plants, fungi, microorganisms, cells, animals and humans. The non-living things include the non-natural environment, the ionic potentials and the abiotic conditions. The non-living environment includes the nonliving structures and surfaces of the planets and stars.

The living environment is the entire physical and chemical makeup of the planet that includes all living and non-living things present in the same system. The living environment is the sole source of life on earth and is a very complex system. The living environment also includes the ecosystems, the biogeochemical cycles, the radiation processes, and the physical sciences. The living environment requires adequate resources for the maintenance of its stability and serves as an interface with the outside environment. The external environment of the earth includes the atmosphere, the space weather, the ionosphere, and the extragalactic ocean.