Name:
Characteristics of Life Worksheet
Identify the characteristic of life that is illustrated by
each of the following statements.
WORD BANK
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Made of Cells
Reproduction
Growth
Obtain and Use
Energy
Development
Responds to Stimuli
Evolve/Adapt
Maintain homeostasis
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1. _______________________ “That boy shot up five
inches in only one year.”
2. _______________________ “Our cat had a litter of
kittens yesterday.”
3. _______________________ “My dog has become much
less clumsy now that he is a year old.”
4. _______________________ “Eat a good breakfast and
you will be able to run longer.”
5. _______________________ “When that car pulled in the
driveway, my cat ran to hide under the porch.”
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6. __________________ “That owl’s night vision allows it to
see the movement of mice on even the darkest night.”
7. _______________________ “Single-celled organisms live
in the pond behind school.”
8. _______________________ Your body normally
maintains a temperature of 98.6OF.
9. Which of the following is a stimulus, which is a response?
a) the recess bell ringing in an elementary school
_________________
b) your mouth watering at the sight of food on a plate
_________________
c) a sudden drop in air temperature
_________________
d) a flu virus entering your body
_________________
e) getting “butterflies” in your stomach before giving
a speech.
_________________
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10.Determine if each of the following describes a living or
nonliving thing.
a) rust eating a hole in a metal bucket __________
b) an apple on a tree
c) bacteria
_______________
d) lightning
______________
e) a dinosaur fossil
f) a wasp
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________________
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Biology is:
=_____________________________________________
Living Things are called:
=_____________________________________________
List Characteristics of ALL LIVING THINGS
1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
4. __________________________________________
5. __________________________________________
6. __________________________________________
7. __________________________________________
8. __________________________________________
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Modern science has changed the way people understand
their world. In the past, the people of many societies thought
that mountains, rivers, and forests were “alive.’ In much the
same way that animals and plants are alive. Today, most
people recognize a difference between living and non-living
things.
DIRECTIONS: Fill out the table below. Explain HOW each
shows the characteristic of life IF it does.
Feature of Life
Dog
Fast-moving stream
made of cells?
uses energy?
responds and
adjusts to
changes?
reproduces?
grows and
develops?
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Life is organized into many levels. The simplest level at which
life exists is the cell. Life is also organized on nonliving levels
(below the cell) and levels above the organism.
DIRECTIONS: Use your notes to arrange the following levels
of organization in order for simplest to most complex:
WORD BANK
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Tissue
Cell
Organ
Organism
Organ System
LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION:
_______________
SIMPLE
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
MOST COMPLEX
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DIRECTIONS: Match each word to its definition
_____ 1. Organ
_____ 2. Cell
_____ 3. Organ System
_____ 4. Organelle
_____ 5. Tissue
_____ 6. Organism
A. Basic unit of structure and function in an organism
B. Group of similar cells that work together to perform a task
C. A living thing that may be unicellular or multicellular
D. Group of similar tissues working together like the heart or
lungs
E. Parts of a cell such as the nucleus
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