Characteristics of
Living Things
Write down
what is in
yellow.
Characteristics of Living
Things
1. Made of Cells
unicellular and multicellular
Red Blood cells
Onion skin epidermal cells
Human cheek cells
Characteristics of Living Things
2. Grows and develops
 Increase in cell size and/or number
 Includes:
death
development, aging,
 Differentiation
– cell specialization
for a certain job
Characteristics of Living Things
3. Obtains & uses Energy


Metabolism (sum of all chemical
reactions)
Anabolism- simple to complex
(build–up rxns.)
Catabolism – complex to simple
(break-down rxns.)
Heterotrophic (other feeding)
vs. autotrophic (self-feeding)
Characteristics of Living Things
4. Reproduces
two kinds of reproduction:
- asexual – takes one
to make more
- sexual – takes two
Characteristics of Living Things
5. Responds to the Environment
a. Movement – internal or
external
b. Irritability - ability to respond to
a stimulus
Examples of stimuli : sight, sound,
touch, pressure, temperature,
chemicals, color, light, other?
c. Adaptability
Taxonomy
A. Definition = science of naming
things & assigning them to groups
Taxonomy
B. Why have a classification system?
1. Single, universal name
2. Avoid confusion
3. Understand how living things are
related to one another
Taxonomy
What are the FIVE common names of
this animal?
Taxonomy
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mountain Lion
Cougar
Puma
(Florida) Panther
Catamount
Rocky Mountain resident
Florida resident
Taxonomy
Wouldn’t it be confusing if we didn’t have
a scientific name?
Felis concolor = scientific name of the
mountain lion
Genus
species (always underlined or in
italics)
Taxonomy
C. Examples of classification systems:
1. Dewey decimal system – library
2. Sections of store – music store
3. Periodic Table of elements Chemistry
4. Others?
Taxonomy
Binomial nomenclature
1.System of scientific naming
2.Developed by Carolus Linnaeu
a.
(Swedish botanist) in 1750s
a.
Genus and species
3.Two
4.Must
part scientific name
be underlined or in italics
5.In Latin (dead language of
scholars)
Taxonomy
E. Example :
Homo sapiens
(wise man)
1. Scientific name
for human beings
2. Homo = genus
(capitalized &
underlined)
3. sapiens = species
(underlined, but NOT
capitalized)
Taxonomy
F. Definition of species =
1. breed successfully  viable, fertile offspring
2. unique features similar to others of same
species
3. have similar DNA to other species members
?
Taxonomy
G. 7 Taxa of living things ( taxon = group)
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Taxonomy
H. Kingdom is least specific, largest
group
I. Species is most specific,
contains only one kind of
organism
Taxonomy
J. An example:
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Primates
Hominidae
Homo
sapiens
K. Other Systems of Classification
1. Cladograms- a branching diagram
showing evolutionary relationships
Foster’s Bio.
Students in
Poudre
school
District
Lambkins
Go to FCHS
Live within the boundaries
of Poudre School District
Student
In Mr. Foster’s
Biology
Derived Traits
K. Other Systems of Classification
2. Three Domain System:
Eubacteria, Archaebacteria and
Eukaryotes
Taxonomy
L. What determines how something
is classified?
1. DNA
2. Structure
Taxonomy
3. Embryology & development
Taxonomy
L. There are 6 kingdoms of living things
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Archaebacteria
Eubacteria
Protista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia
Taxonomy
M. Definitions
 Prokaryotic
= does not have a
nucleus to
contain its DNA
 Eukaryotic – has a membrane–bound
nucleus
Taxonomy
N. Unicellular
A. Prokaryotic
1. Archaebacteria –ancient bacteria
2. Eubacteria – most bacteria
B. Eukaryotic
3. Protista – single-celled
O. Multicellular
4. Fungi – e.g. mushrooms
5. Plantae - plants
6. Animalia - animals