Download Characteristics of Life Notes

1/27/16
What is Biology?
 Biology is the study of
living and once living
organisms
 “Bio”-life
 “-ology”-study of
What do Biologists
study?
 The interactions of life
 The interactions with the
environment
 They study problems and
propose solutions (examples:
medical treatment, disease
prevention, etc.)
  What makes a living thing alive?
  What do you think are the most important
characteristics of ALL living organisms?
What are the living things in the picture below?
1
1/27/16
Cellular Organization:
There are 8 characteristics of Life:
! Cellular Organization
! Reproduction
! Metabolism (Obtain and Use Energy)
! Homeostasis
Cell------Smallest unit capable of all life functions
Unicellular-composed of one cell
Ex: Bacteria, amoeba, paramecium, euglena
Multicellular- composed of many cells
Ex: Humans
! Heredity
! Responsiveness
! Growth and Development
! Adapt Through Evolution
!
Sexual Reproduction
Reproduction is the process of producing new
organisms of the same type
Asexual Reproduction
! Two different parent organisms contribute genetic
information
! Involves the combination of male and female sex cells
! A single parent organism reproducing by itself
2
1/27/16
!
!
Living organisms need energy to
grow, develop, repair damage, and
reproduce
Metabolism
The total of all chemical reactions in
an organism
!
!
Keeping the internal environment of the
cell or organism within the ranges required
for life
! Body temperature
! Blood volume
! pH balance
! Water balance
Genes carry hereditary information
Genes are composed of DNA
Heredity is the reason children resemble their parents
Mutations change
DNA code and can be
passed from
generation to
generation
3
1/27/16
!
!
Growth means to get bigger in size
Organisms react to stimuli:
! Light
! Temperature
An example is a plant’s leaves and
stems growing toward light
! Odor
! Sound
! Gravity
! Heat
! Water
! Pressure
!
Development involves a change in the
physical form or physiological make-up of
an organism
!
Adaptation
! A process that enables
organisms to become better
suited to their environment
!  Species obtain adaptations
through evolution over great
periods of time
4
1/27/16
Characteristics of Life
! Cellular Organization
! Reproduction
! Metabolism
(Obtain and Use Energy)
! Homeostasis
! Heredity
! Responsiveness
! Growth and Development
! Adapt Through Evolution
Desert plants have succulent waxy leaves and
stems to store water and reduce water loss
5