1. Characteristics of Living Things
Life Science Biology

2. When you see the symbol, write down
the definition from the slide.

3. Objectives
Be able to determine whether something is a living thing or a non-living thing.
Learn and understand the 6 main characteristics of living things.

4. Organism-a living thing; anything that can carry out life processes independently. They can be unicellular (one cell) or multicellular (many cells).
Some cells have organelles and some do not.

5. First Characteristic of Living Things
The first characteristic of living things is that they are all composed of cells.
Cells are the itsy bitsy puzzle pieces that make up all living things.

6. Second Characteristic of Living Things
The second characteristic of living things is that they have DNA.
When organisms reproduce they pass copies of their DNA to their offspring.

7. Third Characteristic of Living Things
The third characteristic of living things is all living things use energy.
Plants however use the sunlight to obtain their energy.
Animals and humans eat food to obtain their energy.

8. Energy
All organisms use energy to undergo life processes. Energy cannot be reused or recycled. In nature, materials needed by all organisms in an ecosystem are reused or recycled.

9. Nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and other nutrients move through ecosystems in a predictable pattern or cycle. These nutrient cycles in nature are called biochemical cycles.

10. Inorganic compounds
Water, carbon dioxide, ammonia and oxyen are the basic inorganic chemicals of life. Th formulas for each are;
Water- H2O
Carbon-CO2
Ammonia-NH3
Oxygen- O2

11. Organic compounds The organic compounds of life include; carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
nucleotides
They are called organic because all contain the compound element Carbon.

12. Carbohydrates
Any of a group of organic compounds that includes sugars, starches, celluloses, and gums and serves as a major energy source in the diet of animals.

13. Lipids
Any of a group of organic compounds, including the fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides, that are insoluble in water

14. Proteins
made up of amino acids. Proteins are basic components of all living cells and are therefore among the principal substances that make up the body.

15. Nucleotides
Any of various compounds consisting of a nucleoside combined with a phosphate group and forming the basic constituent of DNA and RNA

16. Oxygen cycle-the process by which oxygen released into the atmosphere by photosynthetic organisms is taken up by aerobic organisms while the carbon dioxide released as a by-product of respiration is taken up for photosynthesis.

17. Carbon cycle- The continuous process by which carbon is exchanged between organisms and the environment.

19. Nitrogen cycle-the circulation of nitrogen; nitrates from the soil are absorbed by plants which are eaten by animals that die and decay returning the nitrogen back to the soil 

21. Fourth Characteristic of Living Things
The fourth characteristic of living things is homeostasis.
This is maintaining the inside of their bodies.
Eating the right foods and staying clean are parts of this maintaining process.

22. Regulation of an organism’s internal surroundings (environment) involves sensing the internal and external environment and changing physiological activities to keep condition within the range required to survive.

23. Let’s discuss the things that can effect the way we respond to our environment.

24. Environment
the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time.

25. Homeostasis
Homeostasis - the body’s ability to maintain a relatively constant internal environment despite changes in the external environment.

26. Feedback mechanisms Homeostasis maintained through either:
Negative feedback mechanisms
opposes response to stimulus
Positive feedback mechanisms
enhances response to stimulus

27. Stimulus- something that causes a reaction in a living thing

28. Response
A reaction, as that of an organism or any of its parts, to a specific stimulus

29. Plants
Animals and plants respond in different ways. Let’s look at the way plants respond to their environment.

30. A plant’s responses to gravity, moisture, and light are called tropisms. Tropisms can be either negative or positive. Let’s look each one.

31. Negative tropism
Negative tropism- Moving or turning away from a stimulus, such as light

32. Positive tropism
Positive tropism is when there is movement toward the source of stimulation.

33. Fifth Characteristic of Living Things
The fifth characteristic of living things is that all living things grow and develop. Cell growth can include size of cell or number of cells.

34. Development refers to the series of changes that produces a more complex organism.
Growth is an increase in size.

35. Sixth Characteristic of Living Things
The sixth characteristic of living things is reproduction. All living things need to reproduce to survive.

36. Reproduction is sexual and/or asexual.
Sexual reproduction-reproduction in which the sex cells from two parents unite, producing offspring that share traits from both parents.
Asexual reproduction-reproduction that does not involving the union of sex cells and in which on parent produces offspring identical to itself.

37. Living or Non-living and Why?

38. Six Characteristics of Living Things
Cells
Have DNA
Uses energy
Homeostasis/responds to environment
Growth and Development
Reproduction