Is It Alive?

It’s Alive!! Or is it??? While outside one day

you notice something strange in the grass.

It’s slimy, bright yellow, and about the size of a dime.

You have no idea what it is.

Is it a plant part that fell from a tree?

Is it alive? How can you tell?

Classification Scientists use

classification to group organisms based on their similarities and differences

Organisms An organism is a

living thing. Animals Plants Bacteria Anything that is

living is considered an organism!!

It IS Alive!! To be considered living, and organism

must do/possess the following 6 things: Grow Reproduce Respond to their environment Use energy Be composed of cells Have DNA

The Mneumonic Get Robin’s Response Unless Charlie Dies

Grow Reproduce Respond to enviro. Use energy Composed of cells DNA

Grow All living things,

whether they are made of one cell are or have many cells, grow during periods of their lives

Reproduce All living things

have the ability to make organisms similar to themselves, or reproduce

Respond to Their Environment

Living things have the ability to sense change in their environment and to respond to that change

Light Danger Temperature

Use Energy Living things use energy

to carry out the activities of life.

Making food Breaking down food Moving materials (such as

oxygen) in and out of cells Building cells Metabolism is the term

given to all of the chemical activities that an organism performs

Composed of Cells All living things

are composed of one or more cells.

A cell is a membrane-covered structure that contains all the materials necessary for life

DNA The cells of living

things contain DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

DNA controls the functions and structure of cells.

DNA is passed along to the organism’s offspring during reproduction

Is it alive, non-living or dead? Living (an organism): does/possesses all

6 characteristics needed to be considered to be alive. (biotic)

Non-living: Never had all 6 characteristics. Never was alive (abiotic)

Dead: Once had all 6 characteristics, but is now missing one or more (abiotic)

Potential for Life Given the right

conditions, eggs, nuts and seeds can develop the characteristics of the living

Ecosystem All the living,

dead, and non-living things that interact with each other in an environment