Characteristics of Living Organisms

• The 7 characteristics of living organisms are;

  Movement

  Respiration

  Sensitivity

  Growth

  Reproduction

  Excretion

  Nutrition
• Movement is an action by an organism or a part of an organism causing a change of position or place
• Most single-celled creatures move as a whole.

  Fungi and Plants may make movements with parts of their bodies.
• Respiration is the chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules and release energy for metabolism.
• All living organisms break down for to obtain energy. Some need oxygen (aerobic respiration) and some don't (anaerobic respiration).
• Common features for all respiration types;

  Breakdown of glucose

  Release energy

  Heat loss
• Common features for all types of respiration

  • Breakdown of glucose
  • Release of energy
  • heat loss
• Breathing

  The act of inhaling and exhaling air
• C6H126 + 6O2 = ATP (energy) + heat loss+ 6CO2 (carbon dioxide)
• Sensitivity is the ability to decent and respond to changes in the environment. These changes are called stimulus.

  Animals have sense organs but plants don't. They respond to light, pressure or sound
• Growth is a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in cell size or cell number or both.

  Bacteria and single-celled creatures show an increase in size. Meanwhile multicellular organism increase the numbers of cells as well as the the size
• Reproduction is the processes that make more of the same kind of organisms.

  Single-celled organisms divide into 2.

  Multicellular organisms may reproduce asexually or sexually
• Excretion is the removal of the waste products of metabolism, toxic materials and substances excess of requirements.

  CO2 and urea in most animals and mainly CO2 and oxygen in plants.
• Nutrition is taking in materials for growth, energy and development.

  Plants require light, CO2, water and ions.

  Animals need organic compounds, ions and water
• DNA

  Carrier of genes or traits of organisms that can be passed down from parents to offspring
• Metabolism sum of all the chemical rxn in the body.
• Anabolic: synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones.

  Catabolic: Breakdown of complex molecules to simpler ones.