Intro to Living Things Study Guide
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Adaptation – an organism’s ability to change with its environment
Asexual – form of reproduction involving one parent; offspring looks identical to parent
Autotroph – another name for a producer; plants
Biogenesis – the theory that life can only come from living things
Biology – the science of living things
Cells – the building blocks of life
Characteristics – special traits in an organism making it unique
Classification – the process of grouping things based on their similarities
Consumer – an organism that relies on other organisms for food
Decomposers – feed on dead or decaying organisms
Dissolved – oxygen found in water
DNA – genetic blueprint or instruction manual
Francesco Redi – disproved theory of spontaneous generation; developed theory of biogenesis
Heredity – passing traits through generations
Heterotroph – another name for consumers and decomposers
Homeostasis – internal balance or equilibrium
Metabolism – the chemical reactions taking place in organisms
Multicellular – organisms with many cells working together
Organism – biological matter; any living thing
Photosynthesis – the process plants use to obtain food
Producer – an organism that makes its own food
Reproduction – organisms make more organisms of the same kind
Response – a change in an organism’s behavior due to a stimulus
Sexual – form of reproduction involving two parents
Spontaneous generation – NOT TRUE; life comes from non-living matter
Stimulus – anything an organism responds to; changes
Unicellular – organisms made up of one cell
7 Characteristics of Living Things
M – Movement
R – Respiration
S – Sensitivity
G – Growth
R – Reproduction
E – Excretion
N – Nutrition
Be able to differentiate between the following
categories, and provide examples!
Living – An organism that demonstrates all 7
characteristics of living things (MRS. GREN)
Non-living – An organism that does not
demonstrate all 7 characteristics of living things
Dead – An organism that was once living