Download characteristics of living organisms

CHARACTERISTICS
OF LIVING
ORGANISMS
Identify the 7 Characteristics
Explain the meaning of each characteristic
using scientific examples
1) Organization & Cells
•Organization: Degree of order within an organism’s
internal and external structure & how it interacts with
the environment.
•Cells: Smallest unit that can perform all life’s
processes.
1. Unicellular= 1 cell (bacteria)
2. Multicellular= Multiple cells (trees, fish, you)
2) Response to Stimulus
•A physical or
chemical change in
the internal or
external
environment.
Examples:
Dilating eyes in response
to change in light.
Pulling hand away after
touching hot stove.
Sneezing in response to
dust or allergies.
Leaves changing colors
during Fall.
3) Homeostasis
• Maintaining a stable internal
environment even when environmental
conditions change.
• Example: Your body temperature is
maintained at approximately 98°F.
• When your body heats up, your sweat glands
secrete water to cool your skin.
• When you are cold, your body constricts the
skin (goosebumps) to conserve heat.
4) Metabolism
• Sum of all chemical reactions that
involve taking in and transforming
energy & materials from the
environment.
• Purpose of metabolism is to obtain
energy for repair, movement, and
growth.
• Example: Plants, algae, and bacteria
use the sun’s energy to generate sugar
(food) through photosynthesis. You
depend on other organisms to obtain
energy.
5) Growth & Development
• All living things grow and increase
in size by the cells dividing and
enlarging.
6) Reproduction
• Production of new organisms.
• Reproduction, unlike the other 6
characteristics, is not essential to the
survival of an individual organism. It is
essential for the survival of the species.
• During reproduction, organisms pass on
genetic information (DNA) to their
offspring.
• Sexual: hereditary information is combined
from 2 organisms of the same species.
• Asexual: hereditary information from
different organisms is not combined ~ the
original organism and new organism are
genetically the same. Ex) bacteria
7) Change Through Time
• Although individual organisms
experience changes during their
lifetime, their basic genetic
characteristics do not change.
• Populations of living organisms
evolve or change over long
periods of time in order to survive
in a changing world.
Example: Peppered Moth
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