7 Characteristics of Life

• species = one particular type of living thing that interbreed to reproduce
• organism = any single living thing, including me, Autumn, bacteria, fly
• definition of Biology: bio = living things & logy = study of
• 1. Organisms are organized: contain DNA (pass DNA to offspring) & made of cells
• unicellular: made of ONE cell (bacteria, paramecium)
• multicellular: made of TWO or more cells (fungi, animals, plants)
• 2. All living things require energy
• Metabolism: all the chemical processes that build or break down materials in living things
• 3. All living things respond to their environment
• Light, temperature, touch = stimuli
• 4. Living things maintain homeostasis
• Homeostasis: a self-regulating process by which a living organism can maintain internal stability while adjusting to changing external conditions
• 5. All living things can reproduce
• Asexual = one cell becomes two (bacteria)
• Sexual = union of sex cells, sperm & egg (plants & animals)
• 6. All living things grow (get bigger) and develop (change or mature over time)
• 7. All living things adapt (to surroundings) and evolve (change in population of living things over time)