Download Characteristics of Life

Characteristics of Life
• Biology
–The study of Life
• Bio: Life
• ology: Study of
Characteristics of Life
• Response to Stimulus (Movement)
• Growth & Development
• Reproduction
• Organization
• Homeostasis
• Use Energy
Living things acquire materials and
energy, and they reproduce
Response to Stimulus
• Stimulus is any response
to an organism’s
environment that causes
it to react.
Living things grow and develop
Growth & Development
• All organisms change during their
lives
• Growth increases size
• Development is like the stages of life
that humans go through: infant,
adolescent, (puberty), adult.
Reproduction
• The species must reproduce
• This is how the species survives
• A group of organisms that
interbreed and produce fertile
offspring are called a species.
Reproduction (cont)
• Reproduction is a process that can
allow gradual change in the
characteristics of a species over time.
• Change over time is evolution.
• Change over time explains the great
diversity of life.
Organization
• Each species has its own type of
body organization
• Cells, tissues, organs, systems
are levels of organization
• All body systems interact with
other systems.
Levels of Biological Organization
Homeostasis
• The ability of the body of an
organism to maintain it’s internal
environment or conditions in the
body.
• Example: Body Temperature
• Maintaining balance within the
body
Use Energy
• All living things obtain energy
from their environment.
• They use this energy to move,
grow and develop, reproduce,
have organized body systems,
and maintain homeostasis.
• Autotrophic vs Heterotrophic
Theme of Biology
• Living things do not exist in
isolation
• They are all functioning parts
in the delicate balance of
nature.
• Life is dynamic, not static
Organization of the Biosphere
• Chemical cycling- chemicals cycle through
an ecosystem until they are returned to
the environment through death and
decomposition
• Energy cycling-flows from the sun through
photosynthesizers to others in food chain
and dissipates back to the environment as
heat
A grassland, a terrestrial ecosystem
• Fig 1.6