Biology  Biology – The study of LIFE!  Anything considered alive share the following 7 characteristics

1. Cells  All living things are made of one or more cells  The cell is the basic structure of all living things

2. Reproduction  All living organisms reproduce  Sexual reproduction creates genetic variation  Asexual reproduction creates exact copies

3. Metabolism  Metabolism - All the chemical reactions that create and use energy to run all living processes  Plants capture the energy of the sun and convert it to food  All other organisms eat the plants or they eat the animals that eat the plants

4. Homeostasis  Homeostasis – maintaining a stable internal environment in spite of external changes  Balancing internal conditions with external conditions

5. Heredity  Passing on characteristics to the next generation  Genes carried on DNA are passed from parent to offspring

6. Evolution  Changes in the traits of species over time  Individuals with the best traits for their environment will survive and pass on their genes to the next generation

7. Interdependence  The interaction of living organisms with each other and with their environment  Dependence on one another and the ecosystem