CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS
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Made of Cells
Metabolism (Obtain & use energy)
Heredity
Adapt
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Reproduce
Homeostasis
Grow & Develop
Cells –
Organisms may be unicellular (Made of one cell), like bacteria or protists
Or Multicellular (Made of many cells(
Reproduce
Asexual - One parent, offspring are identical to parent (Usually bacteria)
Sexual – Two parents, combine genetic material, offspring different than parents
Obtain & Use Energy
Living organisms need energy to grow, develop, repair damage, and reproduce
Homeostasis
A stable state of conditions in the body that are necessary for life
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Body Temp
Blood sugar level
Blood volume
Heredity
Genes/Traits are passed on to offspring via DNA
Respond to Stimuli
Organism respond to light, pH, temperature, pain, etc.
Grow & Develop
Grow – to get larger
Develop – To become more complex
Adapt
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A process that enables organisms to become better suited to their environment
Species obtain adaptations through evolution over great periods of time
Mnemonic
Certain random messy houses have really good apples.
What do Living Things Need?
Energy
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Needed to carry out life processes, like reproducing and growing
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Derived from food
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Some organisms make their own food (Producers)
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Some organisms eat their food (Consumers)
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Location of many chemical reactions in living things
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Most animals need oxygen
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Most plants need Carbon dioxide
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Some bacteria use sulfur dioxide
Water
Gases
Temperature
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Organisms that are warm blooded must live in habitats within certain temperature
range, and their bodies maintain a constant temperature
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Organisms that are cold blooded must be able to change their temperature to match
their surroundings
Living Space
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Need a minimum amount of space to meet the needs above