Characteristics of LifeAll About You

Teacher Education Course

Functions of Living Things

Characteristics of LifeKey Take-Away

• All living things must have the following characteristics: composed of cells, have organization, maintain homeostasis, use energy, grow and repair, interact with environment, reproduce, and adapt and evolve.

Objectives• Compare and contrast living and non-living things to deduce

the characteristics of life• Create a characteristics of life graphic organizer to serve as a

study guide• Plan experiments with pinto bean plants to support with

evidence that they have the characteristics of a living system

Name

Description

Picture

Characteristics of LifeGraphic Organizer

Biology and the Characteristics of Life

Living Thing

Grow and Repair

Interact with the

Environment

ReproduceAdapt and

EvolveComposed

of CellsHave

OrganizationMaintain

HomeostasisUse Energy

Composed of

Cells

Cells are the most basic form of life. Cells come in

many varieties and can work together for various

functions.

HaveOrganization

Structural parts and functional roles

Ex: Cells > Tissue > Organ > System

Reproduce

Can result in a copy of genetic info OR a mixing

of genetic info

Grow & Repair

Cells are limited in size -Cellular division is

required for growth & repair.

Interact w Environment

Obtain resources; respond to

environmental change; change the environment

Is This Plant a Living Thing? Now it’s your turn to

design an experiment for the following characteristic:

• Interact with the Environment

Interacts with Environment Experiment DesignINDEPENDENT VARIABLE

(factors you change)

DEPENDENT VARIABLE

(factors that change as a result)

CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MAINTAINED

(controlled variables) 

Interacts with Environment Experiment Design

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES 12345

DEPENDENT VARIABLES abc

CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MAINTAINED

Once you pick an independent variable, the rest automatically become variables that you need to keep the same…

What can you change? What might respond to changes you make?

Interacts with Environment Experiment Design

Research Question

How does INDEPENDENT VARIABLE affect DEPENDENT

VARIABLE when CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE

MAINTAINED? 

Hypothesis

If INDEPENDENT VARIABLE is increased and CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MAINTAINED then DEPENDENT VARIABLE will (increase / decrease).

Interacts with Environment Experiment Design

Research Question

How does air temperature affect the size of pinto bean

leaves when the plant is grown in a greenhouse? 

Hypothesis

If air temperature is increased and the plant is grown in a greenhouse then the size of pinto bean leaves will increase.

UseEnergy

Energy is required for essential life

processes; comes from light and/or

chemicals

MaintainHomeostasis

Internal regulation (ex: temperature,

moisture)

Adapt & Evolve

Adaptions: inherited traits favorable in an environment

Evolution: changes in species over time

Is It Living?

Disciplinary Core Ideas in Life ScienceLS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures

and Processes

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits across generations

LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity