1. Is it Alive?

2. Six Characteristics of Living things
All living things have cells. A cell is the smallest unit of life. It is a membrane covered structure that holds all the materials necessary for life.
Some organisms are made up
of just one cell; others made up
of trillions
Different cells perform different specialized jobs (nerve cell / skeletal cell)

3. Six Characteristics of Living things
2. Living things sense and respond to change
Stimulus: anything that causes a reaction or change in an organism
Examples: chemicals, gravity, light, sounds, hunger
Homeostasis: the maintenance of a constant internal state in a changing environment
Examples: temperature regulation (shivering to warm you up and sweating to cool you down)

4. Six Characteristics of Living things
Living things reproduce
Organisms produce offspring
similar to themselves
Sexual reproduction: sex cells from 2 parents unite; offspring share traits from both
Asexual reproduction: one parent produces offspring identical to itself (bacteria; hydra)

5. Six Characteristics of Living things
Living things have DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Controls the structure & function of cells
DNA is passed to offspring, ensuring that they resemble parents
Heredity: the passing of traits from parent to offspring

6. Six Characteristics Living things use energy
Organisms use energy to carry out life’s activities
Include: making food, digesting food, moving materials into and out of cells, building of new cells
Metabolism: the total of all of the chemical activities that an organism performs

7. Six Characteristics of Living things
Living things grow and develop

8. Life’s Basic Needs
Water (70% of a living organism IS water)

9. Life’s Basic Needs
Water (70% of a living organism IS water)
Air (made up of several different gases, including oxygen and carbon dioxide)

10. A place to Live Life’s Basic Needs
Water (70% of a living organism IS water)
Air (made up of several different gases, including oxygen and carbon dioxide)
A place to Live

11. Life’s Basic Needs 4. Food Producers: make their own food (plants)
Consumers: eat other organisms to get food (us)
Decomposers: get food by breaking down nutrients in dead organisms (mushroom)