Goals of science: To investigate and understand the natural world To explain events in the natural world Use explanations to predict

Some of the many types of science: Biology: the study of life Astronomy: the study of space Botany: the study of plants Chemistry: the study of reactions, creations, and the binding of matter Geology: the study of Earth and its components Physics: the study of matter, energy, space, and time

Things Biologists Study Cells DNA Genetics Ecology Plants Human Body Evolution

Think Like a Biologist! Come up with 5 questions that a biologist could ask about these pictures

Characteristics of Living Things ALL living things share 8 characteristics: Made up of units called cells Reproduce Based on a universal genetic code Grow and develop Obtain and use materials and energy Respond to their environment Maintain a stable internal environment Change over time

1. Living things are made up of units called cells Cells-the smallest unit of an organism that can be considered alive

2. Living things can reproduce Sexual Reproduction-cells from 2 different parents unite to form the first cell of a new organism Asexual Reproduction-a single parent produces offspring that are identical to itself

3. Living things are based on a universal genetic code The genetic code is stored in DNA and is the blueprint to your body. DNA is copied and passed from parents to offspring

4. Living things grow and develop During development, cells divide. These new cells add to the living thing, making it grow bigger. During an organism’s development, cells differentiate, which means that the cells look different from one another and perform different functions.

5. Living things obtain and use materials and energy Living things need energy to survive They collect and capture resources they need to survive

6. Living things respond to their environment Stimulus-a signal from the environment that a living things responds to

7. Living things maintain a stable internal environment Homeostasis- an organism’s ability to maintain a relatively stable internal environment in the face of changing external conditions Although conditions outside an organism may change, conditions inside an organism tend to remain constant.

8. As a group, living things change over time Over many generations, the traits present in a group of living things change Evolution of humans

Test Yourself! For the following slides, determine which of the 8 characteristics of a living thing that each picture is an example of.