Name ______________________________________________________ Date_______________ Period___________
Characteristics of Life Quiz
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of all living things?
A growth and development
C response to the environment
B ability to move
D ability to reproduce
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2. Which of the following characteristics of living things best explains why birds fly south for the winter?
A Living things respond to their environment.
B Living things maintain internal balance.
C Living things are made up of units called cells.
D Living things are based on a universal genetic code.
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3. Which of the following characteristics of living things best explains why humans sweat when they get
hot?
A growth and development
C using energy
B maintaining a stable internal
D ability to reproduce
environment
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4. What does the term “homeostasis” mean?
A respond to their environment.
B maintain a stable internal environment.
C made up of units called cells.
D based on a universal genetic code.
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5.
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6. Which of the following characteristics of living things best explains why your legs and arms get longer
and stronger as you get older?
A Living things respond to their environment.
B Living things maintain internal balance.
C Living things are made up of units called cells.
D Living things grow and develop
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7.
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8. Which of the following characteristics of living things is very important for a group or organisms, but not
a single organism?
A Living things respond to their environment.
B Living things maintain internal balance.
C Living things are made up of units called cells.
D Living things reproduce
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9. A word to describe change over time is:
A organism
B cell
A(n) ______________________ is another name for a living thing.
A organism
C person
B cell
D amoeba
Both a fast-moving stream and a dog respond to the environment and grow and develop, but this
characteristic of life is why a dog is considered alive and a stream isn’t.
A The ability to move
C The ability to grow and develop
B Being made of cells
D The ability to change over time
C evolution
D reproduction
____ 10. In
A
B
C
D
all of our cells there is DNA. Which characteristic does this fact best describe?
Living things respond to their environment.
Living things maintain internal balance.
Living things are based on a universal genetic code.
Living things grow and develop
____ 11.
Before a big soccer game Charlie always eats a big dinner. Which characteristic of life does this fact best
describe?
A Living things respond to their
C Living things reproduce
environment.
B Living things grow and develop
D Living things use energy
12.
Describe one way your body maintains homeostasis. __________________________________________
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13. Pick any of the characteristics of life and give an example of how living things demonstrate it.
Characteristic of life:_____________________________________________________________________
Example: _____________________________________________________________________________
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