CHARACTERISTICS

OF LIFE Chapter 1, pages 16-20

LIVING THINGS…

1) ARE MADE UP OF

UNITS CALLED CELLS Smallest unit of an organism that is considered to be

alive

They can grow, respond to stimuli, and reproduce

Living things can either be unicellular (bacteria, protists), or multicellular (plants, animals, fungi)

2) REPRODUCE

Sexual reproduction – cells from two parents unite to produce the new organism

Asexual reproduction – the new organism has a single biological parent

3) ARE BASED ON A

UNIVERSAL GENETIC CODE contain DNA that is inherited from parent(s)

4) GROW AND DEVELOP Single celled organisms will increase in size

Multi-celled organisms will develop

5) HAVE A METABOLISM

the set of chemical reactions through which an organism obtains and uses materials for energy to carry out life processes

Autotrophic

Heterotrophic

Stimulus – signal to which an organism responds temperature, precipitation, light, gravity, etc.

6) RESPOND TO THEIR

ENVIRONMENT

7) HAVE HOMEOSTASIS

process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment

Temperature, water

8) CHANGE OVER TIME

Evolution –

change in a

kind of

organism

over time