characteristics of living things

Characteristics of living things

Organization

Organisms exhibit a high level of organization

Bacteria protozoan Microalgae jelly fish

Homeostasis

It is the maintenance of a dynamic internal environment in terms of temperature, pH, water concentrations, etc.

Energy acquisition and release

Organisms obtain energy from sunlight, inorganic chemicals, or another organism, and release it in the cellular respiration process.

Modes of nutritionWays of obtaining and using nutrients

Nutrition

Autotrophic nutrition

Heterotrophic nutrition

Holozoic nutrition

Saprophytic nutrition

Parasitic nutrition

Autotrophic nutrition

Organisms make their own food (complex organic substances) using simple inorganic substancesAutotrophs

by photosynthesis

Heterotrophic nutritionOrganisms which depend

on other organisms or

dead organic matters as

their food sources

Heterotrophs

Cannot make their own

food and obtain their

food in organic form

Holozoic nutrition

Organisms take in solid organic food from other organisms

Food needs to be broken down into small molecules before they can be used by the organismsHeterotrophs

Animals taking holozoic nutritionHerbivores

Feed on plants only

Animals taking holozoic nutritionCarnivores

Feed on animals only

Animals taking holozoic nutritionOmnivores

Feed on both plants and animals

Saprophytic nutrition (Saprophytism)

Organisms feed on dead organisms or non-living organic matter

They are called saprophytes (fungi, bacteria, etc.)Decomposers: Important to recycle organic matter

Parasitic nutrition (Parasitism)Organisms (parasite) obtain organic

compounds from another living organism of a different species (host)Parasite is benefitedHost is harmed

Growth and development

Even single-celled organisms grow until they develop into mature cells. Multicellular organisms pass through a more complicated process of differentiation and organogenesis.

Reproduction and heredityAll cells come from existing cells. Therefore, they must have some way of reproducing, whether that involves asexual or sexual strategies. Genetic information will pass from one generation to the next one

Detection and response to stimuli

Interactions

Adaptation

Living things are suited to their mode of existence.

Charles Darwin

EvolutionChange in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organization (species, individuals and molecules, such as DNA and proteins).