Characteristics of Life Chapter 1.1 pages 6-10 Opening video

What is Biology? The study of living things “Bio” = living “-ology” =“study of…”

8 Characteristics of Life: Living things must have all 8 characteristics of life to be considered living. They are:

1. FOOD (ENERGY) Living things USE & NEED energy! Energy comes from food! SOME ORGANISMS CONSUME their food: HETEROTROPHS EX: ANIMALS, SOME FUNGI SOME ORGANISMS MAKE their food!: AUTOTROPHS EX: PLANTS, ALGAE

2. REPRODUCTION Living things reproduce! Asexually — single parent Sexually — two parents of different gender

3. Response to the ENVIRONMENT Living things respond to their environment They react to a stimulus The stimulus causes a reaction or response! Example: Response to temperature, light, smells, sounds, touch

4. DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH Growth = change in size Development = change in complexity (maturity) Example: life cycles

5. Have CELLS Cells are the smallest living thing Can be: unicellular: single cell Example: bacteria Multicellular: many cells Example: You!

6. HOMEOSTASIS Living things maintain a stable Internal balance. Examples: You sweat when it’s hot to cool off your body and avoid overheating your cells! Insulin increases in your body to get rid of excess sugar in the blood Dogs pant to cool off

7. EVOLUTION Living things must evolve: species of organisms adapt to changes in the environment over a long period of time. Charles Darwin

8. Have a GENETIC CODE Living things must have a genetic code in DNA or RNA The genetic code is inherited and particular to a species

FRED CHEG! F ood R eproduce E volve D evelop C ells H omeostasis E nvironment G enetic code

VIRUS Viruses are NOT ALIVE Not made of cells!! Protein capsule with RNA