1. Growth, Development, & Levels of Organization Notes
The 6 characteristics all organisms share:
Have at least 1 cell
Can grow & develop
Can reproduce
Have genetic material
Have a metabolism
Can adapt & evolve

2. Growth & Development Growth Development
the process where living things increase in size
Development
the process where living things get new body parts and/or abilities
As an organism goes through its life, both of these processes happen together
Not all organisms grow to the same size or develop the same parts, though

3. Development All organisms start their lives as a single cell
Unicellular organisms stay single-celled
In multicellular organisms, that cell divides into 2 cells
Those 2 cells divide to become 4 cells
Those 4 cells divide to become 8 cells
Those 8 cells divide to become 16 cells
Those 16 cells divide to become 32 cells, etc…

4. This means that each of the several trillion cells in your body are the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, (you get the idea…) grandchild of the first cell in your body.
Not all the cells in your body look or act the same, but they all came from the same place

5. Specialized cells (differentiated cells) – cells that have developed a specific shape, specific organelles, and a specific job
Stem cells - cells that have the ability to turn into many different types of specialized cells
The fertilized egg is the stem cell responsible for all the specialized cells in an adult organism’s body
You still have stem cells as an adult

6. Cell Specialization

7. Pre-Birth Development
Development of most organisms begins very shortly after fertilization
Fertilization is when the sex cells from different organisms combine
Development continues during gestation, incubation, or germination
Gestation is the time between fertilization and birth in mammals (developing inside mother)
Incubation is the time between fertilization and hatching for many animals (developing inside egg)
Germination is the time between fertilization and sprouting in many plants, bacteria, and fungi (development inside a seed or spore)

8. Types of Development
After birth, hatching, or sprouting, organisms can take different paths to adulthood.
Gradual development – type of development where the organism looks similar to the adult version at each stage
Metamorphosis – type of development where the organism looks very different from the adult version at each stage

9. Gradual development
Most organisms develop this way (including humans)

10. Metamorphosis Most insects develop this way
Frogs are an example of a vertebrate that develops this way

11. The 6 Levels of Organization
Having specialized cells means that the body of the organism must be really well organized so jobs don’t get repeated or missed
Organism
Organ system
Organ
Tissue
Cell
Organelle

12. Organism Organ system Organ Tissue Cell Organelle A living thing
Made of a collection of different organ systems that work together
Organ system
A collection of different organs that work together
Organ
A collection of different tissues that work together
Tissue
A collection of cells of the same type that work together
Cell
A collection of molecules that meet the characteristics of life
Made of molecules and organelles that work together
Organelle
A tiny structure inside a cell that has a specific job
Made of a collection of different molecules that work together