What Makes What Makes Something Something Alive?Alive?

The 8 characteristics of The 8 characteristics of living thingsliving things

1. Cells1. Cells All living things contain cellsAll living things contain cells Organisms can be:Organisms can be:

UniUnicellular – 1 cellcellular – 1 cell MultiMulticellular – many cellscellular – many cells

Living things are highly Living things are highly organized:organized:

Cells Cells Tissue Tissue Organ Organ Organ system Organ system OrganismOrganism

2. Reproduction2. Reproduction All living things can All living things can

reproduce to make more of reproduce to make more of their speciestheir species

Two types of reproduction:Two types of reproduction: Sexual reproduction – 2 Sexual reproduction – 2

parentsparents Asexual reproduction – 1 Asexual reproduction – 1

parentparent

3. DNA3. DNA All living things contain All living things contain

genetic material that they genetic material that they pass on to their offspringpass on to their offspring

This is why children often This is why children often look like their parents!look like their parents!

4. Growth4. Growth

All living things grow and develop throughout All living things grow and develop throughout their lifetheir life

5. Energy5. Energy All living things need energy in order to surviveAll living things need energy in order to survive Two ways to get energy:Two ways to get energy:

Plants make it themselves (Plants make it themselves (autoautotrophic)trophic) Animals get it from the food they eat Animals get it from the food they eat

((heteroheterotrophic)trophic)

6. Response to 6. Response to Environment/StimuliEnvironment/Stimuli

Living things respond to Living things respond to changes in their environmentchanges in their environment

Unlike adaptations, these Unlike adaptations, these changes are immediate and changes are immediate and take place in an individual take place in an individual organismorganism

Examples:Examples: Blinking, flinchingBlinking, flinching Plants growing towards Plants growing towards

sunlightsunlight

7. Homeostasis7. Homeostasis Living things must maintain Living things must maintain

an internal balance in order an internal balance in order to surviveto survive

Some examples are:Some examples are: Shivering to heat upShivering to heat up Increasing heart rate Increasing heart rate

when runningwhen running Thirst response when Thirst response when

dehydrateddehydrated

8. Adaptation to Change8. Adaptation to Change Living things change over timeLiving things change over time This usually takes many This usually takes many

generationsgenerations Adaptations take place in Adaptations take place in

groups of organisms, not groups of organisms, not individualsindividuals

Examples:Examples: Plants that are adapted to Plants that are adapted to

live in the desertlive in the desert Drug resistant bacteriaDrug resistant bacteria