UNIT 1: INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF LIFE
1A: Characteristics of Living Things
Roadmap for the year:
Unit 1: Interconnectedness of Life
 1A Characteristics of Living Things
 1B Introduction to Ecology
 Scientific Method
Unit 2: Ecological Biochemistry
Unit 3: Cellular Biology: Structure Leads to Function
Unit 4: DNA Structure and Cellular Reproduction
Unit 5: Gene Expression and Inheritance
Unit 6: Evolution and Classification of Living Things
Unit 7: Biotechnology, Human Biology, and Disease
Themes for the year:
How does this unit contribute to
your understanding of the
following themes?
 Life on Earth has various
Levels of Organization
 The Structure of Living
Things leads to their
Function
The Big Picture for Unit 1…
Science is a body of knowledge and skills acquired through systematic experimentation and
observation to describe natural phenomena; or, more simply, it is a “way of knowing”. The
process of science helps biologists investigate how nature works at all levels, from the
molecules in cells to the biosphere. The existence of life on Earth depends on interactions
among organisms and between organisms and their environment. There is a great diversity
among living organisms yet there are similar characteristics that all organisms share.
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What does it mean to be ‘alive’?
How can species change over time?
How do different organisms get the energy they need to survive?
How do Earth’s living and nonliving parts interact to shape ecosystems
and affect the survival of organisms?
 How does energy move through an ecosystem?
Textbook – Biology (Miller and Levine, 2010) (Sections 1.3, 16.3, 18.1, 18.3)
Note Packet
Activities
Worksheets
Directions: Below are check lists of things you should know and things you should
be able to do by the end of the unit. Use this tool to help you prepare for the unit
assessment.
By the conclusion of this unit, you should know
the following:
1) Biology is the study of living things.
2) All living things exhibit the following
eight characteristics: made of cells,
utilize a universal genetic code, obtain
and use materials and energy, grow and
develop, reproduce, respond to their
environment, maintain a stable internal
environment, and change over time.
3) Natural selection is a mechanism for
evolution involving descent with
modification.
4) Viruses are considered non-living because
they do not exhibit all of the
characteristics of living things.
By the conclusion of this unit, you should
be able to do the following:
1)
Explain the characteristics of living
things and use them to justify whether or
not something is ‘alive’.
a. Identify the cell as the basic unit
of structure and function in living
things. Distinguish between
examples of unicellular and
multicellular organisms. Explain
the importance of cellular
specialization in a multicellular
organism
b. Give general examples of life
processes which verify the
existence of metabolic activity.
Compare and contrast alternate
ways organisms obtain energy
from their environment to
undergo metabolic activities
(autotrophs vs. heterotrophs).
Realize that all organisms
undergo cellular respiration and
some also perform
photosynthesis. Explain the
interdependence of
photosynthesis and cellular
respiration
c. Describe how growth differs from
development.
d. Differentiate between sexual and
asexual reproduction as different
methods of producing offspring.
e. Give example(s) of how an
organism might respond to
internal/external stimuli to
maintain homeostasis.
f. Provide an example of how a
mutation can lead to the
adaptation and evolution of a
species.
g. Explain why viruses do not fit the
definition of a living thing.
Characteristics of Living Things Key Terms
Words found in the textbook:
1) Biology :
2) Metabolism :
3) Autotroph :
4) Heterotroph :
5) Photosynthesis :
6) Cellular Respiration :
7) Asexual Reproduction :
8)
Sexual Reproduction :
9)
Homeostasis :
10) Stimulus :
11) Prokaryotes:
12) Eukaryotes:
13) Response :
14) Species :
15) Adaptation :
16) Mutation :
17) Evolution :
18) Natural Selection :
19) Traits :
20) Binomial Nomenclature :
Words NOT found in the textbook (use your note packet- you may
have to generate a definition in your own words- give it a try!!)
21) Organism :
22) Offspring :
23) Unicellular :
24) Multicellular :
25) Cellular Specialization:
26) ATP :
27) Growth :
28) Development :
29) Variations :
30) Life Span :
31) Taxonomy :
32) KPCOFGS :