Characteristics of Living Things
Organism – any living thing
Animal, Plant, Fungus,
Bacteria or Protist
• All organisms are made of one or more cells• Cells are the basic unit of structure and function• To survive, need everything to work together.• Levels of organization:• Cells• Tissues• Organs• Systems• Organism• Population• Community• Biome
• All organisms have a method of making more of their own kind.
• Some organisms need a partner some can reproduce by themselves.
• Reproduction is necessary for the continuation of the species.
• All organisms increase in size and/or weight.
• Some living things have a period of growth, some grow for their entire life.
• Development means to mature or to become more complex.
• Metamorphosis and puberty are examples of development.
• Organisms attempt to maintain a steady internal operating condition.
• Temperature, water content, salt concentration, pH, pressure and chemical balance are all conditions monitored to maintain homeostasis.
• Populations of living things change over time to survive in their environment.
• The “best” organisms are the ones that survive to reproduce.
• Natural Selection
• “Survival of the fittest”
• Events or conditions in the environment cause living things to react.
• The events and changes in the environment are called Stimuli.
• The reactions and adjustments are called responses.
• All forms of life require energy to remain alive.• Stored energy is constantly used-up and must
be replaced.• Autotrophs can make their own food through
photosynthesis.• Heterotrophs must hunt and gather energy in
the form of food.
• Living things are either unicellular (one cell) or multicellular (more than one cell)
• Living things can either make their own food/energy (autotroph) or need other sources to obtain food/energy (heterotroph.)