Characteristics of Living Things All Living things 1

Characteristics of Living Things

All Living things: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Are made up of cells Reproduce Grow and Develop Obtain and use energy Respond to the environment

1. All Living things are made up of cells Cell is a collection of living matter that contains the genetic info of the organism Organisms can be either: a) Unicellular – single celled eg. bacteria b) Multicellular – many celled eg. human

2. Reproduction Essential for species to survive 2 methods: Sexual reproduction = 2 cells of different individuals unite to reproduce a new and genetically different offspring b) Asexual reproduction = only 1 parent is required and the offspring is genetically identical to parent a)

3) Grow and Development Growth involves a cycle of change called development, and as the process occurs, aging occurs

4) Organisms obtain and use energy to grow, develop, and reproduce Heterotrophic: Animals take food from their surroundings Autotrophic: Plants use sunlight to make their own food

Metabolism = Anabolism + Catabolism Metabolism = total sum of the chemical rxn in body Anabolism = process of synthesizing complex substances from simpler substances Catabolism = breakdown of complex substances into simpler substances

5) All Living things respond to changes in their environment Stimulus = what an organism reacts to in its environment (eg. light, temp. , odour, sounds, gravity, heat) Homeostasis = ability to maintain constant or stable conditions