Characteristics of Living Things

1. Characteristics of Living Things

2. Living Things Have Cells • All living things, are composed of one or more cells. • A cell is a membrane-covered structure that contains all of the materials necessary for life.

3. Living Things Have Cells • Some organisms are made multi-cellular that perform specialized functions. • For example, a nerve cells and muscle cells • An organism made up of only one cell, or is unicellular, different parts of the cell perform different functions. • For example, a one-celled bacterium

4. Living Things Sense and Respond to Change • All organisms have the ability to sense change in their environment and to respond to that change. Ex: Dilating pupils • A change that affects the activity of the organism is called a stimulus (plural, stimuli). Ex: chemicals, gravity, light, sounds, hunger, or anything that causes organisms to respond in some way.

5. Living Things Sense and Respond to Change • Even though an organism’s outside environment may change, conditions inside an organism’s body must stay the same, so an organism must maintain stable internal conditions to survive. • The maintenance of a stable internal environment is called homeostasis (HOH mee OH STAY sis). -Ex: Sweating and shivering http://my.hrw.com/sh2/sh07_10/student/flash/visual_concepts/60006.htm

6. Living Things Reproduce • Organisms make other organisms similar to themselves. • They do so in one of two ways: by • sexual reproduction - two parents produce offspring that will share characteristics of both parents. • asexual reproduction- single parent produces offspring that are identical to the parent.

7. Living Things Have DNA • The cells of all living things contain DNA. • DNA controls the structure and function of cells. • When organisms reproduce, they pass copies of their DNA to their offspring. • Passing DNA ensures that offspring resemble parents. • The passing of traits from one generation to the next is called heredity. • http://my.hrw.com/sh2/sh07_10/student/flash/visual_concepts/60007.htm http://my.hrw.com/sh2/sh07_10/student/flash/visual_concepts/60140.htm

8. Living Things Use Energy • Organisms use energy to carry out the activities of life such as • making food • breaking down food • moving materials into and out of cells • building cells An organism’s metabolism is the total of all of the chemical activities that the organism performs.

9. Living Things Grow and Develop • All living things, grow during periods of their lives. • In a single-celled organism, the cell gets larger and divides, making other organisms. • In organisms made of many cells, the number of cells gets larger, and the organism gets bigger. • Living things may develop and change as they grow. Ex: tadpoles-frogs; infants to adults

10. Let’s Review • What are the 6 characteristics of living things? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

11. Let’s Review • Give 3 functions of the cell. 1. 2. 3.

12. Let’s Review • How do living things respond to their environment? Give examples. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

13. Let’s Review • How do you, yes you, maintain homeostasis? 1. 2.

14. Let’s Review • How do organisms reproduce? 1. 2.

15. Let’s Review • What is the stuff that your parents pass down to you and your siblings? (Hint: 3 letters).

16. Let’s Review • How do living things use energy? What is metabolism? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

17. All Living Things Share Six Characteristics That Are Also Used to Classify Organisms • Organisms are made of one or more cells. • Organisms detect and respond to stimuli. • Organisms reproduce. • Organisms have DNA. • Organisms use energy for their metabolism. • Organisms grow and develop. http://my.hrw.com/sh2/sh07_10/student/flash/visual_concepts/60047.htm http://my.hrw.com/sh2/sh07_10/student/flash/virtual_investigations/hst/alv/hst_alv_vi.html