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Characteristics of Living Things

Characteristics of Living Things. Explain why something is considered living or non-living using the characteristics of life. Describe how life is organized. Do you think Marty’s specimen is living?. 15. Yes , the specimen is living!. No , the specimen is non-living!.

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Characteristics of Living Things

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  1. Characteristics of Living Things Explain why something is considered living or non-living using the characteristics of life. Describe how life is organized.

  2. Do you think Marty’s specimen is living? 15 Yes, the specimen is living! No, the specimen is non-living!

  3. Characteristics of Life Biology is the study of life. But what is life?

  4. 1. Living things are based on a universal GENETIC CODE. • All organisms store the information they need to live, grow, and reproduce in their DNA. • That information is copied and passed from parent to offspring.

  5. 2. Living things GROW and DEVELOP. • Growth: Adding more cells. • Development: When cells specialize to perform different jobs. • Every organism has a certain pattern of growth and development.

  6. 3. Living things RESPOND TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT. • Organisms notice and react to stimuli from their environment. • Stimulus is a signal to which a living thing reacts. • Examples: nutrient uptake, body temperature, heart rate, breathing rate.

  7. 4. Living things REPRODUCE. • Sexual reproduction (two parents) results in offspring that are genetically unique. • This allows a species to survive over time. • Asexual reproduction result in offspring that are genetically identical as the parent.

  8. 5. Living things maintain a STABLE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT. • Living things must maintain a steady state in order to survive. • Homeostasis: process by which organisms maintain a stable internal environment.

  9. 6. Living things get and use MATERIALS and ENERGY. • All living things must take in materials and energy to grow, develop, and reproduce. • The chemical reactions through which a living thing builds up or breaks down materials are called metabolism.

  10. 7. All living things are made up of CELLS. • All living things are made up of one or more cells. • Cell: smallest unit of an organism. • Cells have a membrane that forms the boundary between the living and non-living world.

  11. 8. Taken as a group, living things EVOLVE. • Over generations, groups of living things evolve, or change over time. • A single organism does not evolve.

  12. DIRECTIONS: Listed below are examples of living (which includes once-living) and nonliving things. Put an “X” next to things that could be considered living. ___ tree ___ rock ___fire ___boy ___wind ___rabbit ___cloud ___feather ___grass ___seed ___egg ___ bacteria ___cell ___ sun ___ potato ___ molecule ___leaf ___pupae ___fossil ___mushroom ___river ___ herb ___ seagull ___ hibernating bear

  13. What “rule” or reasoning did you use to decide if something should be considered living?

  14. DIRECTIONS: Listed below are examples of living (which includes once-living) and nonliving things. Put an “X” next to things that could be considered living. _X_ tree ___ rock ___fire _X_ boy ___wind _X_ rabbit ___cloud ___feather _X_ grass_X_ seed_X_ egg _X_ bacteria _X_ cell ___ sun _X_ potato ___ molecule _X_ leaf_X_ pupae _X_ fossil _X_ mushroom ___river _X_ herb _X_ seagull _X_ hibernating bear

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