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Living Things

• You can tell if an object is aliveor dead. You can also tell if an object has been alive in the past, or if it has never been alive at all.This is because all living things have certain characteristics in common

What do such diverse organisms have in common?

All these organism are living things?

Characteristics of Living Things

All living things share certain, common characteristics.

Organisms• Organism – any living thing• In order to be considered an

organism (living thing) it must:

1. Be made up of cells2. Use energy3. Adapt to surroundings4. React to changes5. Change or develop6. Produce more organisms

Living creatures are ORGANIZED• All made of the same collection of

chemicals, but we are organized as…

• plant cells & animal cells

Living Things Have Cells

• All living things are composed of one or more cells.

• A cell is a membrane-covered structure that contains all the materials necessary for life.

• Different kinds of cells perform different function.

ALL LIVING THINGS ARE: Made of cells

The ____is the________basic unit of life

Cell

ALL LIVING THINGS ARE: Made of cells

________organisms are _____________made of only 1 cellUnicellular

Ex. bacteria

ALL LIVING THINGS ARE: Made of cells

_________________ organisms _______ as _________ but as adults are_________________________

MADE OF MANY CELLSMULTICELLULAR BEGIN ONE CELL

Living Things Sense & Respond to Change

• A stimulus is anything that causes a reaction or change in an organism or any part of an organism.o Gravityo Lighto Soundso Hunger

Characteristics of Living Things

Living things respond to their environment.

• Organisms detect and respond to signals from their environment

For example, plants respond to light by growing

Mammals respond to cold temperature by growing thicker fur.

Living Things Sense & Respond to Change

• As the external environment changes, the internal environment must remain stable. Maintaining this internal environment is called homeostasis.

Characteristics of Living Things

Living things maintain a stable internal environment.

• All organisms need to keep their internal environment relatively stable, even when external conditions change dramatically.

• This is called HOMEOSTASIS

Thermal images show that even though the temperature outside the body is cool, inside there is warm and stable

environment.

Living creatures use ENERGY• Eating, digestion & elimination of

waste• Synthesis = building• Cellular respiration = making energy

Characteristics of Living Things

Living things obtain and use material and energy.

• All organisms must take in materials and energy to grow, develop, and reproduce.

• Chemical reactions breaks down materials in what is called METABOLISM.

Living creatures GROW & DEVELOP

– Get bigger–Mature: – so they can reproduce

Characteristics of Living Things

Living things grow and develop.• Every organism develops at a

different rate.• During development, a single cell

divides again and again.• After these cells divide they begin to

look different from one another and perform different functions.As a seed grows, different parts of the plant develops.

Butterflies develop from caterpillars during their life cycle.

An icicle can grow, but why isn’t it alive?

Living Things Reproduce• Organisms make other organisms

similar to themselves.• Reproduction is necessary for a

species

Living Things Have DNA• The cells of all living things

contain the molecule deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA.

• DNA controls the structure and function of cells. The passing of traits through DNA is called heredity.

In order to be considered living, it is a must that an

organism possesses ALL of these 6 characteristics, not

just some. . . .

• Living Things....1.Are made of one or more cells

2.Detect and respond to stimuli

3.Reproduce4.Have DNA5.Use energy6.Grow & Develop