Which organisms can convert inorganic matter (as in neither alive or formally alive) into living matter?

[Gelatinous squid]

Is it just plants, or can other organisms do it? Life existed before plants, so presumably there had to be another way. Sorry if this is a silly question. 

[DPS Ammonite]

Stromatolites composed of photosynthetic bacteria, one of the earliest creatures.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromatolite

 

Also, chemosythetic bacteria live off of inorganic chemicals.

Edited July 8, 2022 by DPS Ammonite

[Ludwigia]

I don't at all profess to knowing anything much about inorganic and organic chemistry, but don't mammals, including humans, convert inorganic iron into something which combines to create haemoglobin? And what about all of the originally inorganic minerals, etc. which are necessary to supporting our life, which is "living matter"?

[JBkansas]

Almost all plants and animals incorporate iron to organic ferritin.

 

Diagram from Wikipedia.

[oilshale]

Maybe I don't understand the background of the question, but many substances considered "inorganic" such as calcium, fluoride and phosphate are incorporated in bones and teeth, iron and vanadium (in tunicates) are important components of blood, iodine is contained in thyroid hormone, phosphate is contained in adenosine triphosphate, the main energy store of the cell. The entire metabolism in the body is based on oxygen from the air. 

All the trace elements such as zinc, selenium, chromium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, silicon are needed by the body and play a role in chemical reactions in the body. 

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by oilshale

[jpc]

I agree with oilshale... the question is a bit vague.  The answer with oilshale's perspective is... Life, all of it. 

[Ludwigia]

I agree of course with all of the above, but one could also state that the plants do the dirty work of extracting the inorganic compounds and elements from the earth and making use of them for their living substance. Then the animals and humans eat the plants and/or other animals and use the converted substances for their purposes. I don't think that I'd be able to digest much in the way of native iron, for example, without poisoning my system, although we do get minerals, compounds and vitamins in tablet form and mineral waters, don't we?