Transcript Characteristics of Living Things

Characteristics of Living
Things
Life Science Biology

When you see the symbol,
the definition from the slide.
write down
Objectives

Be able to determine whether something is a
living thing or a non-living thing.

Learn and understand the 6 main
characteristics of living things.
Organism-a living thing; anything
that can carry out life processes
independently. They can be
unicellular (one cell) or
multicellular (many cells).
 Some cells have organelles and
some do not.

First Characteristic of Living Things


The first characteristic of living things is that
they are all composed of cells.
Cells are the itsy bitsy puzzle pieces that make
up all living things.
Second Characteristic of Living
Things


The second characteristic of living things is
that they have DNA.
When organisms reproduce they pass copies of
their DNA to their offspring.
Third Characteristic of Living
Things

The third characteristic of living things is all
living things use energy.
Animals and humans eat food
to obtain their energy.
Plants however use the
sunlight to obtain their
energy.
Energy

All organisms use energy to
undergo life processes. Energy
cannot be reused or recycled. In
nature, materials needed by all
organisms in an ecosystem are
reused or recycled.

Nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and
other nutrients move through
ecosystems in a predictable pattern
or cycle. These nutrient cycles in
nature are called biochemical
cycles.
Inorganic compounds





Water, carbon dioxide, ammonia and oxygen
are the basic inorganic chemicals of life. The
formulas for each are:
Water- H2O
Carbon dioxide-CO2
Ammonia-NH3
Oxygen- O2
Organic compounds
The organic compounds of life include:
 Carbohydrates
 Lipids
 Proteins
 Nucleotides
They are called organic because they all contain
the compound element Carbon.
Carbohydrates

Any of a group of organic
compounds that includes
sugars, starches, celluloses,
and gums and serves as a
major energy source in the
diet of animals.
Lipids

Any of a group of organic
compounds, including the
fats, oils, waxes, sterols,
and triglycerides, that are
insoluble in water
Proteins

made up of amino acids.
Proteins are basic
components of all living cells
and are therefore among the
principal substances that
make up the body.
Nucleotides

Any of various compounds
consisting of a nucleoside
combined with a phosphate
group and forming the
basic constituent of DNA
and RNA

Oxygen cycle-the process by
which oxygen released into the
atmosphere by photosynthetic
organisms is taken up by aerobic
organisms while the carbon
dioxide released as a by-product of
respiration is taken up for
photosynthesis.

Carbon cycle- The
continuous process by
which carbon is
exchanged between
organisms and the
environment.

Nitrogen cycle-the
circulation of nitrogen;
nitrates from the soil are
absorbed by plants which are
eaten by animals that die and
decay returning the nitrogen
back to the soil
Fourth Characteristic of Living
Things
The fourth characteristic of living things
is homeostasis.
 This is maintaining of the inside of their
bodies.
 Eating the right foods and staying clean
are parts of this maintaining process.

Regulation of an organism’s
internal surroundings
(environment) involves sensing
the internal and external
environment and changing
physiological activities to keep
condition within the range
required to survive.

Let’s discuss the things that can
effect the way we respond to
our environment.
Environment

the air, water, minerals,
organisms, and all other
external factors surrounding
and affecting a given
organism at any time.
Homeostasis

Homeostasis - the body’s
ability to maintain a
relatively constant internal
environment despite
changes in the external
environment.
Feedback mechanisms

Homeostasis maintained through either:

Negative feedback mechanisms


opposes response to stimulus
Positive feedback mechanisms

enhances response to stimulus
Stimulus
Stimulus- something
that causes a
reaction in a living
thing

Response
A reaction, as that of
an organism or any of
its parts, to a specific
stimulus

Plants

Animals and plants respond
in different ways. Let’s
look at the way plants
respond to their
environment.

A plant’s responses to
gravity, moisture, and light
are called tropisms.
Tropisms can be either
negative or positive. Let’s
look each one.
Negative tropism

Negative tropism- Moving
or turning away from a
stimulus, such as light
Positive tropism

Positive tropism is
when there is movement
toward the source of
stimulation.
Fifth Characteristic of Living Things

The fifth characteristic of living
things is that all living things
grow and develop. Cell growth
can include size of cell or number
of cells.
Development
refers to the series
of changes that
produces a more
complex
organism.
 Growth is an
increase in size.

Sixth Characteristic of Living
Things

The sixth characteristic of living things is
reproduction. All living things need to
reproduce to survive.
Reproduction is sexual and/or
asexual.
Sexual reproduction-reproduction in
which the sex cells from two parents
unite, producing offspring that share
traits from both parents.
 Asexual reproduction-reproduction
that does not involve the union of
sex cells and in which one parent
produces offspring identical to itself.

Living or Non-living and Why?
Living
Non-Living
Non-Living
Living
Living
Non-Living
Six Characteristics of Living Things
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Cells
Have DNA
Uses energy
Homeostasis/responds
to environment
Growth and
Development
Reproduction