Characteristics of Living Things

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Characteristics of Living Things

Prepared By:
Butch J. Viñas BSED 2A

Partido State University
College Of Education
bjvinas@gmail.com

"Life has its own hidden forces which you can only discover by living. "-Soren Kierkegaard

Characteristics Of Living Things

Living Things Have Different Levels of Organization:

•      Living things must be able to organize simple substances into complex ones.

•      Living things organize cells at several levels:
 Tissue - a group of cells that perform a common function.

•      Organ - a group of tissues that perform a common function.

•      Organ system - a group of organs that perform a common function.

•      Organism - any complete living thing.

  Made up of Cells

•      Unicellular (one cell)

   - ex. Bacteria

Multicellular (many cells)

    - ex. Animals, plants

Unicellular

Multicellular

All living things reproduce

•      They produce new individuals similar to themselves.

•      To replace the dead ones.

          Two Kinds of Reproduction:

•      Sexual

Ø   two sex cells required (sperm and egg)

•      Asexual

Ø   only one parent cell is needed

Reproduction

All living things grow and develop

•      Increase in cell size and/or number

•      Includes: development, aging, death

•      Differentiation – cell specialization  for a certain job

Grow and Development in Human

Grow and Development in Plant

       Obtains & uses Energy

•      Metabolism (sum of all chemical reactions)

            Anabolism- simple to complex

            (build –up rxns.)

            Catabolism – complex to simple

            (break-down rxns.)

•      Heterotrophic (other feeding)

            vs. autotrophic (self-feeding)

Living Things Uses Energy

Responds to the Environment

• .       Movement – internal or external
• .      Irritability - ability to respond to  a stimulus

    Examples of stimuli :

• sight, sound, touch, pressure, temperature, chemicals, color, light,
•  Adaptability

Phototrophism

Sources:

•      http://infohost.nmt.edu/~klathrop/7characterisitcs_of_life.htm

•      staffweb.psdschools.org/shunter/.../5%20Characs_Taxonomy.ppt

•      jmazzabiology.com/charlivthings1.ppt

•      Google Images

•      www.cliffsnotes.com › Sciences › Biology