“It’s breathing and is conscious,” you say (4)

I believe the answer is:

nose

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'it's breathing' is the definition.
I know that 'breathing' relates to this answer.

I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for nose that I've seen before include "Nuzzle" , "blow it!" , "Bouquet of wine; beak" , "Cyrano's large feature" , "Facial part" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.