What is it? You and a friend are walking in the woods and you stumble upon this object. You tell your friend this is a living wild mushroom. Your friend argues and says it is not living. What would you tell your friend to make them think this object is a living organism?

LEQ: What are the characteristics of life? Name: Date: Block:

1.) made up of one or more cells  Smallest unit of life  Smallest thing that can carry on the functions of life  Organism may be one or many cells

 Cells contain hereditary material  Cells are varied

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2.) the ability to reproduce  Without reproduction, living things would not exist to replace those individuals that die  Survival of the species  Some bacteria can reproduce every 20 minutes, a pine tree takes two years to produce seeds

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3.) obtain and use energy  Homeostasis requires energy  Energy comes directly or indirectly from the sun – begins a food chain  Chemosynthesis: used by certain bacteria, the formation of organic material using energy derived from simple chemical reactions

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4. Grow and develop  Growth occurs through taking in raw materials and making more cells  Usually this is through an increase in the number of cells  Some cells stop dividing: nervous and muscle tissue  Development is the change an organism goes through during its lifespan

 A lifespan is the maximum number of years an individual from a given species can live: --mayflies live one day --a tortoise for 180+ years --bristlecone pine tree 4,600 years --a human 122 years. 

Ticket Out the Door!  List 3 organ systems  2 types organs  1 type of cell