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Studying Life. Section 1.3. Characteristics of all LIVING things. Living things are composed of cells Cells have a membrane that forms a boundary between the living and non-living world The can grow, respond to environment and reproduce They are highly ORGANIZED.
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Studying Life Section 1.3
Characteristics of all LIVING things Living things are composed of cells • Cells have a membrane that forms a boundary between the living and non-living world • The can grow, respond to environment and reproduce • They are highly ORGANIZED.
Living things have the ability to obtain and use ENERGY • Constant supply of energy is needed to maintain cellular balance and organization • What is the source of the energy? • How is it made available to cells? • Plants use sun energy to make sugar and animals eat plants
Living things contain Information (aka genetic code) • All living things have genetic instructions in the form of DNA • The information in DNA molecules (genes) determines how each cell looks and how it functions
Living things reproduce • Sexual reproduction (two parents) results in offspring that are unique • Asexual reproduction (one parent) results in offspring that are identical to parent
Living things grow & develop • Growth: adding more cells • Development: cells take on different shapes as they specialize to perform different jobs
Living things maintain a stable internal environment • Living things must maintain a steady state (homeostasis) in order to survive • Homeostasis: organism’s ability to maintain the constant or stable conditions necessary for life • Examples: blood sugar levels, oxygen in the blood, and body temperature
Living things respond to their environment • Organisms detect and respond to stimuli • Stimulus: anything that causes an organism to react or adjust • Response: reaction to a stimulus • Examples: eyes in bright light/dark light, sweating when hot, plants leaning toward the sun so they can photosynthesize better
Livings things have the ability to evolve • Organisms (as a group not as individuals) evolve or change over time, resulting in adaptations to local environments • Gradual change in population over time (many generations)