Transcript Characteristics of Life

Biology
 The
Study of Life
Bio logy (Greek)
Life
Study of
But what is life???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juxLuo-sH6M&noredirect=1
Living Things
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What are some examples of living things?
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Humans
Plants
Insects
Mold
Bacteria
What about these things?
Rocks, bicycles, books
Characteristics of Living Things
Biologists have created a list of
characteristics by which we can
recognize living things
All living things…..
1. Are made of one or more Cells
2. Reproduce
3. Obtain and Use Energy
4. Respond to their Environment
5. Grow and Develop
6. Adapt Through Evolution
Cells are basic structural units of
life.
Smallest unit capable of all life
functions.
Cells are the building blocks of
all organisms = living things.
http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~acarpi/NSC/13-cells.htm
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/plantcell.html
Two types of Organisms:
Unicellular Organisms
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Entire organism is made
up of one single cell
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Bacteria and protists
http://www.lanesville.k12.in.us/lcsyellowpages/tickit/carl/bacteria.html
/
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2010/03/04/i-for-one-welcome-our-microbial-overlords
UniCellular
Multicellular
Organisms
The
organism is made
up of many cells
Cells
have specialized
functions within the
organism
Epithelial cells (like inside your cheek)
http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/pickenc/BY30%20Histology.htm
MultiCellular
Reproduction is the process of producing new organisms
of the same type.
Asexual
Reproduction
One parent
organism reproducing
by itself
Sexual
Reproduction
Two different parent
organisms contribute genetic
information
Involves the combination
of male and female sex cells
Asexual
Sexual: a new genetic
combination
Living organisms need energy to grow,
develop, repair damage, and reproduce
Anabolism
The process of building up complex substances
from simpler substances
 Building up cells and cellular components
 Photosynthesis
http://www.fourcroy.org/biology/chapters/05photoresp/02.html
Catabolism
The process of breaking down complex
substances into simpler substances to release
energy
 Digestion
 Cellular Respiration
3. All Living Things Obtain and
Use Energy
Metabolism:
the sum total of all the
chemical reactions in your
body
Anabolism + Catabolism =
Metabolism!!!
http://manet.illinois.edu/pathways.php
Organisms react to stimuli:
Light
Temperature
Odor
Sound
Gravity
Heat
Water
Pressure
An example is a plant’s
leaves and stems growing
toward light
A stable state of conditions in the body that
are necessary for life
Body temperature
Blood volume
pH balance
Water balance
Stable
Interior
Even though exterior conditions are changing
Growth means to get bigger in size
Development involves a
change in the physical form
or make-up of an organism
Example: Frog metamorphosis
A frog begins as a single cell in a
fertilized egg, then grows into a
tadpole, and eventually into a
fully grown frog.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/32885.html
Development
Adaptation
A process that enables organisms to become better suited to
their environment
 Species obtain adaptations through evolution over great
periods of time
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_51
An Example of Adaptation
Desert plants have succulent waxy leaves and
stems to store water and reduce water loss
More Resources
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvMBJZLEwFs&feature=related (movie)
http://www.firstschoolyears.com/science/resources/games/ourselves/living/living.htm (sorting)
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.colt.alive//