7 Characteristics of Living Things

1 COMPOSED OF CELLS1 COMPOSED OF CELLS

All living things are made up of at least one cell

Cell – • Basic or smallest unit of life

Membrane bound structure in which all life processes are carried out

CELLS

All organisms are organized at the cellular level

This organization enables organisms to carry out important life processes.

2 - REACT AND RESPOND2 - REACT AND RESPONDTO STIMULITO STIMULI (the environment)

• Stimulus – is anything that may cause an organism to react - Loud noises, hunger

• Response - the reaction to something in the environment - Run/cover ears, Eat/hunt for food

Environment – All the surroundings of an organism

Homeostasis – maintaining a stable internal environment

Adaptation – Change in traits

over time that help an organism survive better in an environment; inheritable changes

3 Adapt to their 3 Adapt to their EnvironmentEnvironment

4 REPRODUCE4 REPRODUCE

  Asexual – single parent produces offspring identical to parent

  Sexual – 2 parents produce unique offspring having characteristics or traits of each parent

5 Contain DNA5 Contain DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Genetic material that contains the “blueprints” for each organism

Provides directions for the making of proteins

6 OBTAIN & USE ENERGY6 OBTAIN & USE ENERGYExchange materials with the Exchange materials with the

environmentenvironment Required to carry

out life processes- making and breaking down food, movement of materials and building of cells

Metabolism – the sum of all the chemical processes in an organism

METABOLISMMETABOLISMThe Sum of All Biochemical ProcessesThe Sum of All Biochemical Processes

1. Obtain Nutrition Sun is the source of

most energy

Producers - Make food

Consumers - Eat

Decomposers – Absorb

2. Digestion – Break down of large food particles into smaller pieces

3. Respiration – Mixing food with oxygen (O2) to release energy

Food + O2 H2O + Waste

Energy

4. Synthesis – Process of putting together or building up

Making more cells – Growth

Repair of Replace old cells

5. Excretion – removal of wastes

7 GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT7 GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

• GROWTH – the increase in size of an organism

• Surface to volume ratio limits how large a cell can grow

Growth in Single-Celled Growth in Single-Celled OrganismsOrganisms

In single-celled organisms growth occurs by an increase in cell size

Cell can either stay big or divide

Growth in Multi-celled Growth in Multi-celled OrganismsOrganisms

In multi-celled organisms growth occurs by production of new cells

   Increases the total number of cells in the organism

   Increases total surface to volume ratio

Surface to Volume

Volume

Surface area

Volume

H2O

O2 , Food

Wastes

DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENTDevelopment –

All the changes an organism undergoes as it grows and matures 

  Newborn puppies can’t see at birth

   Human babies develop the ability to speak and walk

Stages in Human Life CycleBirth Infancy Childhood Adolescence Adulthood Advanced Adulthood Death

LIFE SPANLIFE SPANAll organisms, and individual cells,

have a specific life span

Includes: Birth Death

4 Basic Needs of All Living Things

Food Needed to provide

Energy to carry out life processes Ultimate source of energy

is the sun

Can get food as a producer, consumer or decomposer

Provides raw materials for growth and repair

WaterWater Cells contain ~70%

water    Needed to release

energy in food and for other biochemical reactions

   Required for transporting materials throughout organism

  Helps with dissolving or diluting waste products

Air or GasesAir or Gases    Carbon Dioxide (CO2) required for

photosynthesis - converting of energy from sun into food (glucose) organisms can use

   Oxygen (O2) required for respiration- releasing of energy from food (glucose) into energy organism can use

   Other gases are needed in smaller amounts for various life processes; not required by all organisms

EnvironmentEnvironment Abiotic-non-living

parts; physical features such as air, water, temperature (climate)

Must contain all the needs for that organism to survive

Biotic - living parts; other organisms that meet all 7 characteristicsLiving things may have to compete for their living space

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