1. The 8 Unifying Characteristics of All Living Things
What do you have in common with a bird, fish, tree, ringworm, and the green stuff on the inside of a fish tank?

2. On your whiteboard write down any characteristic that all living things have.

3. All living things …. Have a universal genetic code Are made of cells
Require and use energy
Maintain Homeostasis
Grow and develop
Respond to their environment (stimuli)
Reproduce
Evolve
What, exactly, do these mean??

4. All living things …. (1) Have a Universal Genetic Code
All living things store information in a genetic code written in the DNA molecule.
Genetic information is copied and passed from parent to offspring
Life’s genetic code is responsible for most of our traits and is almost the same in all living things – but for a few small differences.

5. All living things …. (2) are Made of Cells
Cells = the smallest units considered fully alive
One cell = unicellular; or Many cells = multicellular
Prokaryotic - Do not contain any membrane-bound organelles, including a nucleus (bacteria)
Eukaryotic – Contain
membrane-bound
organelles such as a
nucleus (everything
else..plants, animals,
etc)

6. All living things …. (3) Require and Use Energy
Take in and convert materials for energy in order to grow, develop, reproduce, maintain homeostasis….etc.
All living things require an energy source
Autotrophs (Chemoautotrophs or photoautotrophs) – get energy from inorganic sources (sun or inorganic compounds like hydrogen sulfide)
Heterotrophs (Carnivores, herbivores, omnivores) – get energy from consuming organic compounds as food
Autotrophs (Chemoautotrophs or photoautotrophs)
Heterotrophs (Carnivores, herbivores, omnivores)

7. All living things …. (4) Maintain Homeostasis
Homeostasis = a stable (or balanced) internal environment
Some examples : pH, Wastes, Temperature, Ions, Water
In order to achieve balance, living things need to sense and respond to changes to keep a constant internal environment. The brain detects a change and sends an appropriate response to either increase or decrease a function so it returns to normal.

8. All living things …. (5) Grow & Develop
Includes complexity of an organism (levels of organization)
Cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms
Growth = getting bigger
Development = getting more complex

9. All living things …. (6) Respond to their Environment
All organisms notice and react to stimuli (such as other organisms) from their environment
Stimulus: A signal to which a living thing reacts
Response: A reaction to a stimulus
Behavioral response – one that an organism chooses to do/controls
Physiological response – one that an organism can’t control; happens automatically
Ex. Turn off light

10. All living things …. (7) Reproduce
Sexual reproduction (combining DNA from 2 parents); offspring are genetically different from the parents
Asexual reproduction (DNA from only 1 parent); offspring are genetically identical to the parent

11. All living things …. (8) Evolve
All populations of livings things evolve, or change slowly over long periods of time
Natural selection – the process by which evolution occurs; “survival of the fittest” – organisms best suited to their environment will survive longer & reproduce more
Adaptations – beneficial traits that allow living things to survive and reproduce
Descent with modification – related organisms share a common ancestor