Characteristics of Life Or Is Ms. Callaghan really a living thing?

All Living Things….

1. Feedback- Respond to Their Environment Stimulus: anything that causes an organism to react Response: the reaction of an organism to a stimulus Homeostasis: the process by which organisms respond to stimuli in ways that keep conditions in their body suitable for life - the ability to maintain constant or stable conditions that are necessary for life 9

2. Reproduce Reproduce: produce new organisms of the same type Why: because all individuals eventually die Two types of reproduction 1. sexual reproduction: two cells from different organisms join (fertilization) to produce the first cell of a new organism 2. asexual reproduction: a single organism can reproduce without the help of another (the prefix “a” means “not”) Period 1

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3. One or more cells unicellular: organisms made of only one cell cell: a collection of living matter enclosed by a barrier that separates the cell from its surroundings, smallest unit of structure and function in living organisms unicellular: organisms made of only one cell (amoeba) multicellular:organisms made of many cells (you and me)

4. Grow and Develop Growth: increase in living mass Development: a cycle of change, -includes the process called aging: -an organism becomes less efficient at the processes of life & the ability to reproduce comes to an end, -development ends with death

5. Limited life span they don’t live forever and ever and ever….

6. Energy use -obtain energy from environment (surroundings) -use energy to grow, develop, reproduce Metabolism: the total sum of all chemical reactions in the body (the balance of anabolism and catabolism) Period 3

7. Genes -contain genetic information which can pass down specific traits to offspring - Our genetic code also contains the information to make proteins which give certain cells special functions - DNA structure and arrangement determine all properties of life. -Heredity unit of life: DNA - double-stranded, double helix, which carries heritable traits from one generation to the next Period 3

So………….. Is Ms. Callaghan alive?

Is she made up of cells?

Does/Can she reproduce?

Has she grown and developed?

Does she obtain and use energy?

Does she respond to her environment?

Will she eventually die?

Does she have genetic information?

She Is Alive!!!!