The study of living things Biology The study of living things

What does it mean to be alive? Cellular organization Reproduction Metabolism Homeostasis Heredity Responsiveness (Evolution) Growth and Development (Interdependence)

Cellular organization The smallest unit capable of all life functions All things are made of one or more cells The basic structure of cells is the same in all organisms Some cells are more complex than others

Reproduction All living things can reproduce Process by which organisms make more of their own kind Reproduction is essential since no organism lives forever

Metabolism The sum of all of the chemical reactions carried out in an organism All living things use energy to grow, move, and process information With out energy, life will stop

Homeostasis The maintenance of stable internal conditions in spite of changes in the external environment A stable internal environment is needed for an organism to function properly Organisms adjust their processes, according to stimulus in their environment

Heredity The ability to pass on characteristics (traits) to offspring through genes Genes are sets of inherited instructions for making proteins These instructions are encoded on DNA

Responsiveness (Evolution) Individuals that are adapted to meet natures challenges survive, reproduce and become more common Because of these changes or mutations, individuals in a species are different

Growth and Development (Interdependence) Living and interacting with other organisms and the non living part of their environment Result of a long history of evolutionary adjustments Example: food web/food chain