Characteristics are traits or qualities. Here is the list of characteristics shared by living things: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Cellular organization Reproduction Metabolism Homeostasis Heredity Response to stimuli Growth and development Adaptation through evolution Terms: Cellular Organization = The components of a cell and the arrangements of these individual parts within the cell form the cellular organization. Cells, the basic unit of life, are of 2 types: prokaryotic cells (bacteria) and eukaryotic cells (fungi, algae, protozoa, plants, and animals). Reproduction = Reproduction is a demonstration of the ability of an organism to produce a new organism referred to as an offspring. There are two forms of reproduction. These are sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction. Metabolism = Metabolism is a term that is used to describe all chemical reactions involved in maintaining the living state of the cells and the organism. Metabolism can be conveniently divided into two categories: Catabolism the breakdown of molecules to obtain energy Anabolism - the synthesis of all compounds needed by the cells Homeostasis = is the ability to maintain a constant internal environment in response to environmental changes. Heredity = The passing of genetic factors from parent to offspring (or from one generation to the next). The genetic constitution of an individual. Difference between Homeostasis and Heredity = Due to metabolism of the body, certain properties of the internal properties (internal body temperature, pH etc.) could be changed. Regulating and keeping these properties in constant level is done by homeostasis Stimulus = Stimulus is something that causes a reaction in an organ or cell Adaptation = The adjustment or changes in behavior, physiology, and structure of an organism to become more suited to an environment Evolution = The change in genetic composition of a population over successive generations, which may be caused by natural selection, inbreeding, hybridization, or mutation. Difference of Adaptation and Evolution = All living things change through time in order to survive in their environment. Adaptation involves short-term changes to suit the habitat and environment. Evolution is a long-term process wherein changes occur at the genetic level for a better functioning and survival as a race. Adaptation is a form of evolution which means change over time. Not all evolution changes adapt the organism to its surroundings. DNA = Deoxyribonucleic acid. General Characteristics of Life Made up of cells They can be either unicellular or multicellular. There are two types of reproduction: asexual and sexual. Based on a genetic code, DNA is the genetic code found in every cell. DNA is inherited from parents and controls your traits. Grow and Develop, all living things grow and develop during at least part of their life. Need for materials and energy, living things need a constant supply of materials and energy (Metabolism). Response to the environment, Organisms detect and respond to STIMULI (or signals) from their environment. Internal Stimuli – signal comes from inside the organism External Stimuli - signal comes from outside the organism Maintaining internal balance, despite changing conditions around them, organism must keep their internal conditions stable/balanced. (Homeostasis) Change over time, over hundreds, thousands, and millions of years, organisms have the potential to change (evolution). Unifying Principles of Biology: the cell theory, states that all living things are made of one or more cells, or the secretions of those cells. the gene theory, an organism's traits are encoded in their DNA, the large molecule, or macromolecule, that holds the instructions needed to build cells and organisms. homeostasis, is the ability of an organism to control its body functions in order to uphold a stable internal environment even when its external environment changes. evolutionary theory. s the theory that maintains that a population's inherited traits change over time, and that all known organisms have a common origin. Problem: Can inductive reasoning be used to formally prove something? No. Problem: What is the basic role of inductive reasoning in geometry? Inductive reasoning leads people to form hypotheses based on observations made. Then these hypotheses can be tested rigorously using other methods. Inductive reasoning is how people make generalizations about sets of things and form hypotheses accordingly. Problem: Take the following scenario: Jim is a barber. Everybody who gets his hair cut by Jim gets a good haircut. Austin got a good haircut. What can you deduce about Austin? Nothing. Just because Austin got a good haircut does not mean that Jim cut his hair. This is always possible, but nothing can be deduced from the situation. Problem: All dogs are mammals, and all mammals are vertebrates. Shaggy is a dog. What can be deduced about shaggy? Shaggy is a mammal and a vertebrate.