1. What is Life? Living Things Unit
Whacky World of Cell Theory Intro Video:

2. Preview Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXeygGxu8-8 (Discovery)
(BBC)
What do you think? Is Slime Mold intelligent? Why?

3. Characteristics of Living Things
Organism: living things
Examples: people, dogs, cats, fish, trees, plants.
Non-living things: blocks, table, chairs, posters.
All living things have 6 Characteristics!
1. Cellular Organization
2. Similar Chemicals
3. Use Energy
4. Grow & Develop
5. Respond to Surroundings
6. Reproduce

4. Cellular Organization
Cell: basic unit and structure in an organism.
Cell Video:
Two Categories
Unicellular: single (one) celled organisms.
Examples: bacteria (most numerous organisms on Earth), algae, fungi, amoeba
Multicellular: organisms composed of many cells.
Many have specialized cells that work together to keep you alive.
Examples: nerve cells, muscle cells, skin cells, etc.

5. The Chemicals of Life
The cells of living things are composed of chemicals.
Most abundant is WATER (H2O)
Others chemicals include:
Carbohydrates – give cells energy
Proteins and Lipids – building materials of cells (like wood and bricks are building materials for your house)
Nucleic Acid – genetic material (give chemical instructions that direct the cell’s activities)

6. Energy Use Cells use ENERGY!
For what?
Growth and repair of injured parts
Eyes and Brain Cells are busy reading this right now
Stomach Cells are digesting food
Blood Cells are moving chemicals around your body
If you’re hurt, cells are repairing the damage
An organisms cells are ALWAYS hard at work.

7. Growth and Development
Growth: is the process of becoming larger
Development: process of change throughout an organism’s life to produce a more complex organism.
Example: Figure 3 as an acorn develops into an Oak Tree

8. Response to Surroundings
What happens to the stems/leaves of a plant when it is set near a window?
Stimulus: a change in an organism’s surroundings that causes the organism to react.
Examples: Light, sound, temperature, etc.
Response: an organism’s reaction or change in behavior.
Examples: Flinch, dance, shiver/sweat, etc.
Video:

9. Reproduction
Reproduction: ability to reproduce or produce offspring that are similar to the parents.
Examples: Robins lay eggs that develop into young robins / Sunflowers produce seeds that develop into sunflower plants, which make more seeds.

10. Life Comes from Life
Spontaneous Generation: the mistaken idea that living things arise from nonliving sources.
(Video: )
Controlled Experiment: a scientist carries out two tests that are identical in every way except for one factor.
Manipulated Variable: the one factor that the scientist changes.
(Video:

11. The Needs of Living Things
All living things NEED 4 things in order to survive.
They are:
Energy
Water
Living Space
Stable Internal Conditions

12. Energy Water Energy: food is the energy source for living organisms.
Video:
Autotrophs: organisms that make their food.
Example: Plants through photosynthesis
Heterotrophs: organisms that CANNOT make their food and eat other autotrophs and heterotrophs.
Example: Animals (people), dogs, mushrooms, slime molds
Water
All living organisms need water to survive.

13. Stable Internal Conditions
Living Space
All living organisms need a safe place to live, get food, and water.
Stable Internal Conditions
Homeostasis: maintenance of stable internal conditions despite changes surroundings.
Example: Your body regulating it’s temperature / when you’re hot you sweat / when you’re cold you shiver
(Video: