The 6 Characteristics of Living Things

6 Characteristics of living things: 1. Living things are made of cells. Cells are living material and can only come from other living cells.

2. All living things are composed of basically the same elements (chemicals): Carbon - C Hydrogen - H Nitrogen - N Oxygen – O2

3. All living things use energy, which ultimately comes from the sun.

4. Living things respond to their environment/surroundings. A stimulus is a change in ones environment or surroundings. That change can cause a response such as an action, movement, or change in behavior of the organism. And they…

Living things respond to their environment …can move.

5. Living things grow and develop. Living things grow in size, and become more complex.

6. Living things reproduce. Living things give rise to the same type of living thing either: Sexually – requires two parents. Asexually – reproduce from one parent (bacteria & some plants).

In addition to the previous 6 characteristics all living things share, they also can: …perform complex chemical activities, such as: Metabolism – chemical activities that break down substances (ie. food), releasing energy and other usable food substances. Ingestion – eating. Digestion – food broken down into more simple substances.

Living things can perform complex chemical activities, continued… Respiration – living things combine oxygen with the products of digestion or photosynthesis to obtain energy. Excretion – eliminating waste materials.