NOTES: Characteristics of Living Things WWhat are the 6 characteristics of living things? SSummarize each of the characteristics and list any important vocabulary associated with that characteristic.

1. cellular organization 2. contain similar chemicals 3. use energy 4. respond to their surroundings 5. grow and develop 6. reproduce

1. Cellular Organization “Cellular organization” indicates the fact that living things are made up of cells. cell  tissue  organ  organ system  organism Important terms: cell, unicellular, multicellular, prokaryote, eukaryote

2. Chemicals of Life The cells of all living things are composed of chemicals including:  water  carbohydrates - energy  proteins – building materials of cells  lipids – building materials of cells  nucleic acids – genetic material (DNA)

3. Energy All living things use energy, and they get that energy from the food they eat. Important terms: autotroph, heterotroph

Vocabulary  autotroph  Organisms that make their own food by capturing the sun’s energy.

Vocabulary  autotroph  Organisms that make their own food by capturing the sun’s energy.

Vocabulary  autotroph  Organisms that make their own food by capturing the sun’s energy.

Vocabulary  heterotroph  Organisms that obtain their energy by feeding on other organisms.

Vocabulary  heterotroph  Organisms that obtain their energy by feeding on other organisms.

Vocabulary  heterotroph  Organisms that obtain their energy by feeding on other organisms.

4. Response to Surroundings ALL living things respond to their surroundings in one way or another. Important terms: stimulus, response

Vocabulary  stimulus  a change in an organism’s surroundings that causes the organism to react.  (a change in light, sound, temperature, etc.)

Vocabulary  response  an action or change in behavior that occurs as a result of a stimulus.

5. Growth and Development Even nonliving things can change in size, but living organisms will show both growth (getting larger) and development (becoming more complex).

6. Reproduction The ability to produce offspring that are similar to the parents. Important terms: sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, spontaneous generation

Vocabulary  sexual reproduction  Reproduction involving two parents that combine their genetic material to produce a new organism.

Vocabulary  sexual reproduction  Reproduction involving two parents that combine their genetic material to produce a new organism.

Vocabulary  asexual reproduction  Reproduction where a single organism produces a new organism identical to itself.

Vocabulary  asexual reproduction  Reproduction where a single organism produces a new organism identical to itself.

Vocabulary  spontaneous generation  The idea that living things arise from nonliving sources.

Vocabulary  spontaneous generation  The idea that living things arise from nonliving sources.

Vocabulary  Francesco Redi  Italian doctor who helped disprove spontaneous generation with his “flies” experiment.

Vocabulary  Louis Pasteur  French chemist who definitively disproved spontaneous generation with his “boiled broth” experiment.