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

All organisms are organized at the cellular level.

2. IDENTIFY AND RESPOND 2. IDENTIFY AND RESPOND TO STIMULITO STIMULI

• 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

Homeostasis – maintaining a stable internal environment

Adaptation – Change in traits

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

3. REPRODUCE3. REPRODUCE  Asexual – single

parent (cell) produces offspring identical to parent

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

Offspring identical to parent (clone)

2 parent cells

Reproduction

Pass traits onto next

generation

(heredity)

1 parent cell

Used to make more cells for growth & replacement

Offspring show combination of parents (Unique) Used to make new multi-celled organisms

4. Contain DNA4. Contain DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Genetic material that contains the “blueprints” for each organism

Provides directions for the making of proteins

5. OBTAIN & USE ENERGY5. OBTAIN & USE ENERGY

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

Obtaining Nutrition Sun is the source of most energy

Producers - Make food - photosynthesis

Consumers – Eat other organisms

Decomposers – Digest externally then absorb nutrients

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

Food + O2 H2O + Waste

Energy

3. Synthesis – Process of putting together or building upMaking more cells – GrowthRepair or Replace old cells

1. Digestion - Breaking down of large food particles into smaller pieces

4. Excretion – removal of wastes

6. GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT6. GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

Growth is 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

DevelopmentDevelopmentDevelopment is all the

changes an organism undergoes as it grows and matures 

Ex. Newborn puppies can’t see at birth

Ex. Human babies develop the ability to speak and walk

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

7. LIFE SPAN7. LIFE 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