Basic Characteristics of Life

What is Biology Biology – is the study of life So….What do all living things have in common?

Organism - the scientific term for something that is living

All living things… Use energy Animals get their energy by eating other organisms Plants get their energy from the sun All organisms get their energy from the sun directly or indirectly

Energy Pyramid

All living things… Grow and Develop Living things grow by breaking down substances from their environment and rearranging them into needed individual tissue.

All living things… Have a lifespan Five stages Birth Growth Maturity Decline Death All organisms go through these stages just at different rates.

Human Lifespan

Bristlecone pine  4,600 years Giant Redwood  3,500 years Tortoise  150 years Human    72 years Parrot   70 years Elephants    60 years  Dog  12-15 years Snake  12 years Spider  2-3 years House fly  2 weeks Bacteria 20 minutes

All living things… Adjust to their environment Change Move Die The environment includes anything that affects the organism in anyway. Organisms adjust in 3 ways: Change Move Die

All living things… Reproduce This is essential for a species to survive Species continuation is important and requires energy

All living things… Look like their parents

All living things… Respond to stimuli Humans use five senses to detect stimuli A response can be adaptive

All living things… Are made of cells Cells are the basic building blocks of life Can range from 1 to trillions of cells

All living things… Have a highly organized structure Molecules Cells Tissue Ex. Organ Organ System Organism…

Unicellular vs. Multicellular

Homeostasis Homeostasis – to maintain a stable internal environment Living things DON’T like change! Ex. Body temp, heart rate, blood pressure

Scientific Method https://www.brainpop.com/science/scientificinquiry/scientificmethod/ Problem/Question – Observe a problem and ask a question. Research - Conduct background research. Write down your sources so you can cite your references. Hypothesis - Propose a hypothesis. This is an educated guess about what you expect.

Scientific Method cont. Experiment - Design and perform an experiment to test your hypothesis. Data/Analysis - Record observations and analyze what the data means. Often, you'll prepare a table or graph of the data. Conclusion - Conclude whether to accept or reject your hypothesis. Communicate your results.

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