Characteristics of Living Things

1. Characteristics of Living Things

2. Unit I Objectives • NJCCCS Biology Content Objectives • Define biology. • Summarize the characteristics of living things; determine if a specimen is living or non-living by testing for the characteristics of life.

3. WITH YOUR PARTNER… What is biology? 1. Write a definition of biology. 2. Share your definition with the person sitting at your table. Work together to write one composite definition. 3. Write your definition on a whiteboard.

4. BIOLOGY…. BREAK IT DOWN…. • bios: means “life” • -logy: means “study of”

5. Biology…. LIFE. is the study of • Definition of Life Activity…. • In your lab groups, create a chart: • Lifelike Characteristics vs. Non-lifelike Characteristics • Complete the chart using your examples. Then add characteristics to the Non-lifelike column.

6. Mystery Matter • What is this mysterious matter? • Is it an organism? • Organism: a living thing that is currently alive or has once been alive. • What characteristics do organisms have that make them alive? • Revise List: Lifelike vs. Non-lifelike Behaviors

7. Characteristics of Living Things • Living things… • Are made up of units called cells. • Display organization • Require energy. • Respond to their environment. • Grow and develop. • Reproduce. • Change over time (as a group).

8. Made up of cells. library.thinkquest.org/3564/cell751.gif • Collection of living matter enclosed by a barrier that separates the cell from its surroundings. • Perform all functions associated with life (“Basic Unit of Life”) • Cells are not found in nonliving matter unless that matter was once alive.

9. Multi- vs. Unicellular • Organism consisting of only a single cell • Latin prefix uni- means “one.” • Organisms consisting of hundreds, thousands or even trillions of cells or more. • Cells are specialized to perform different functions. • Latin prefix multi- means “many.” Unicellular Multicellular

10. Whiteboards! Unicellular or Multicellular? Amoeba Primate www.planet-pets.com/plntamba.htm http://www.animalport.com/img/Animal-Behavior.jpg E. coli (bacteria) Diatoms http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/chromista/diatoms/diatomdiverse.jpg res2.agr.ca/Lethbridge/emia/SEMproj/ecoli_e.htm Sunflower Sea Star http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/images/veg/Prairie_Lecture_1/Compass_plant-close-up_VK.jpg http://www.kunstdame.com/karshner/images/starfish.lg.jpg

11. Display OrganizationMolecular and Cellular atoms/molecules cells tissues organs organ systems multicelluar organism

12. Require Energy • Used to fuel life’s functions. • Energy obtained in different ways. • Plants • From sunlight • “photo” = light; “synthesis” = put together • Animals • From food

13. Is Yeast Alive? • How does this relate to Part 1 of your lab?

14. Respond to their environment • Organisms detect and respond to stimuli in their environment. • Stimulus= signal to which an organism responds. • External: from the environment outside of the organism • Light • Temperature • Sound • Gravity • Heat • Internal: from within the organism • Level of sugar glucose • What stimuli are you responding to right now?

15. Demonstration(to be conducted next class)

16. Respond to their environment. • Homeostasis = an organism’s ability to maintain constant or stable conditions that are necessary for life. • Thermostat • Can you think of an example in Humans?

17. Homeostasis • Which of these is not an example of the body maintaining homeostasis? A)red blood cells delivering oxygen B)emergence of an evolutionary adaptation C)lungs absorbing oxygen D)insulin production in the pancreas

18. Grow and Develop. • All living things, at some time in their life, are capable of growth. • During growth, most living things go though a cycle of change called development. • As development continues, organisms experience the process of aging. During aging, the organism becomes less efficient at the process of life. • Death is the end of the life span of any organism and is also a characteristic of all living things.

19. Is Yeast Alive? • How does this relate to Part 2 of your lab?

20. How do these images relate to growth and development?

21. Reproduce. • The production of offspring. • Necessary to ensure the survival of any species. • Two kinds: • Sexual • Asexual

22. Sexual vs. Asexual Reproduction Asexual Sexual • Two cells from different individuals unite to form the first cell of a new organism. • Offspring and their parents have different traits. • Species: group of organisms that can breed with one another and produce fertile offspring • A single organism can reproduce without the aid of another. • Can simply be dividing in two to form two new organisms. • Offspring and their parents have the same traits.

23. Growth vs. Reproduction • What is the difference between growth and reproduction?

24. Change over time. • Evolution = the ability of a group of organisms to change over time. • Adaptation = inherited characteristic that results from a change in species over time. • An organisms inherited traits will not change over their lifetime.

26. Who studies living, or once living, things? Why? • With a partner, answer the above questions. Provide a minimum of 3 “Why’s”. • Who? • Biologist • Why? • Study diversity of life. • Preserve the environment. • Research diseases. • Develop technologies. • Improve agriculture.