Transcript Characteristics of Living Things

Characteristics of Living Things
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?
Living Things Have Cells
• All living things are composed of one or more
cells. A cell is the basic unit of structure and
function of all organisms.
Living Things Sense and Respond to Change
All organisms have the ability to sense change in their
environment and to respond to that change. When
your pupils are exposed to light, they respond by
becoming smaller. A change that affects the activity of
the organism is called a stimulus (plural, stimuli).
Living Things Sense and Respond to Change
• Homeostasis
• Even though an organism’s outside environment
may change, conditions inside an organism’s body
must stay the same. Many chemical reactions
keep an organism alive. These reactions can take
place only when conditions are exactly right, so
an organism must maintain stable internal
conditions to survive. The maintenance of a
stable internal environment is called homeostasis
(HOH mee OH STAY sis).
Living Things Reproduce
• Organisms make other organisms similar to
themselves. They do so in one of two ways: by sexual
reproduction or by asexual reproduction.
• In sexual reproduction, two parents produce
offspring that will share characteristics of both
parents. Most animals and plants reproduce in this
way.
• In asexual reproduction, a single parent
produces offspring that are identical to the
parent. Most single-celled organisms
reproduce in this way.
• Budding
• Binary fission
Living Things Have DNA
• The cells of all living things contain the molecule
deoxyribonucleic (dee AHKS uh RIE boh noo KLEE ik)
acid, or DNA. DNA controls the structure and
function of cells. When organisms reproduce, they
pass copies of their DNA to their offspring. Passing
DNA ensures that offspring resemble parents.
Living Things Use Energy
• Organisms use energy to carry out the activities of
life. These activities include such things as making
food, breaking down food, moving materials into and
out of cells, and building cells.
Living Things Grow and Develop
Growth is the process of becoming larger.
Development is the process of change that occurs
during an organisms life.