Living or Non-living? 9 Characteristics of Life

Items in bucket – living or not living? Shell Water Soil Peanut Stick Bean Carrot Air Egg

Infer what the pictures are trying to show, use evidence to explain your answer.

Characteristics of Life 1.Internal Movement 2.Growth and Development 3.Respond to stimuli (environment) 4.Reproduce 5.Metabolism (use energy) 6.Made of Cells (complex organization) 7.Homeostasis (stable internal environment through feedback) 8.Nucleic acid based hereditary molecule 9.Show evolution through mutation, adaptation, and natural selection

Internal Movement Movement inside the organisms Animal Example: a.Nervous System: When feeling something, the message is sent to the brain and back b.Circulatory System: blood moves throughout the body Plant Example: a.Water moves from the roots up the tree to the branches

Growth and Development Growth: Getting Bigger Development: aging Animal Example: a.Gray Hair b.Wrinkles Plant Example: a.More rings on the tree trunk b.Larger Leaves

Responds to Stimulus (environment) Reacts to something Animal Example: a.Touch something Hot – pull away b.Cold? Put on Coat Plant Example: Plants grow towards the sun Wilt when no water

Metabolism Gets and Uses energy Animal Example: a.Consumes (eats) food b.Respiration (break down glucose into useable energy) Plant Example: a.Makes energy from the sun b.Photosynthesis and Respiration

Made of Cells All living organisms are made of cell Multicellular: made of more then 1 cell Unicellular: made of a single cell Animal Example: Amoeba Plant Example: Phytoplankton

Has DNA Found in the nucleus of cells (in eukaryotic cells) Has Genes Carries the information for genetic traits or characteristics

Reproduces Passes on the DNA (genetic characteristics)

Evolves and Adapts (changes through mutation Change over time (in a population, not individual) Observation depends upon how long the organism lives. Examples: 1.Humans getting taller? 2.Insects – live only for a few weeks, easy to observe change 3.Biotech class at KM mutates bacteria and can see evolution within a few weeks. 4.Selective Breeding – think agriculture 5.Adaptation – think Polar Bear (evolved from grizzly bear that is brown, why would a white mutation be beneficial in the Artic?)

Homeostasis State of staying the same or being balanced Being healthy – what are things the organism does to stay healthy? Animal example: 1.Body temperature – body will shiver, when drops below 98.7 °F and sweat when above. Plant Example: 1.Tree growing around wounds.