1. Characteristics of Living Things
What makes something an organism?

2. First off, basic vocabulary…
Organism: Any living thing
Biotic: A term used to describe any living or once living (aka dead) thing
Abiotic: A term used to describe something that was never living

3. 1. Made up of one or more cells
Cell: A collection of living matter separated from its surroundings by a barrier (aka cell membrane)
Unicellular: just one cell makes up the organism
Multicellular: the organism is made up of more than one cell

4. 2. Reproduction
Production of new organisms or cells (growth or healing)
2 types
Asexual: the offspring are identical copies of the parent
Sexual: the offspring are genetic mixtures of their parents (requires 2 parent organisms)

5. 3. Based on a universal genetic code
Genetic code is carried by DNA
Asexual reproduction offspring have the same DNA as parents
Sexual reproduction  offspring are a genetic mix of parents (different DNA)

6. 4. Grow and develop Growth: increase in size (cell number)
Development: change in shape and structure of an organism over time
Cells go through differentiation to become specialized
May include periods of rapid and dramatic change (humans, butterflies, frogs, etc)

8. 5. Obtain and use materials and energy
Metabolism: combination of chemical reactions that happen to either build materials up (ex. Muscles) or break things down (ex. Food for energy)
All organisms take in materials from their environment
Absorb sunlight (photosynthesis)
Eat food
Breathe/respire

9. 6. Respond to their environment
Stimulus: Signal to which an organism responds
Internal: comes from inside (ex. When you feel hungry, you go find food…FYI, this is cause by low blood sugar, and your body triggers a hunger response)
External: comes from outside (ex. How a plant grows towards the light, or how their roots respond to gravity by growing downward)

10. 7. Maintain a stable internal environment
Homeostasis
When your body temperature gets too high, you sweat.
The evaporation of the sweat helps to cool the temperature of your skin

11. 8. Eliminate waste
Living things must have a method for eliminating bi-products or waste products
Example: Humans and other animals:
Exhaling  gets rid of CO2
Urination  gets rid of excess fluids and other liquid based materials
Defecation  gets rid of excess solids (i.e. parts of food that you could not digest and absorb)

12. Fill out the statements on the back of your note sheet with the characteristics that relate to each statement. We’ll go over the answers at the beginning of next class. 
PRACTICE!!!