Day 7 Yesterday we observed small objects moving around in a Petri dish. How can you tell whether something is living? Answers will vary, but just because something moves doesn't prove it is living. Nonliving things can move.

2-Dimensional vs. 3-Dimensional Visualization Exercise 1.2

What is this?

4 Living or Nonliving Revised 08/25/09 Contrasting Case Activity 1 Investigation 1 – What is Life?

5 Is it Living? In this activity, your task is to discover what makes something LIVING. Sort the seven cards you have been given into two piles: living and nonliving.

Made up of cells (multiple cells) Grows and develops, considered mature after 4 years Eats grass and plants for energy Reproduces: births foals Eliminates waste Requires oxygen (gas exchange) Requires water Moves with legs, can walk, trot, canter or gallop Made up of atoms and molecules Horse

Made up of cells (multiple cells) Can grow as large as 15 meters high Requires sunlight for energy (photosynthesis) Reproduces: requires pollination and generates seeds Eliminates cellular waste Requires carbon dioxide and oxygen (gas exchange) Requires water; can conserve it for long periods of time Has sharp spines for protection Made up of atoms and molecules Living Cactus

Living Made up of cells (multiple cells) Many mushrooms grow rapidly over a few days Feeds on nutrients from its environment for energy Reproduces: generates spores Eliminates cellular waste Requires oxygen (gas exchange) Requires water Some mushrooms are poisonous Made up of atoms and molecules Mushroom

Single-celled Paramecium Made up of a single cell Grows to size that is barely visible Feeds on particles in its environment for energy Reproduces: usually splits into two “daughter” cells Eliminates cellular waste Requires oxygen (gas exchange) Requires water Moves by waving rows of cilia Made up of atoms and molecules

Non-living Has a steering wheel Composed of steel, plastic, and rubber Requires gasoline and oil for energy Provides transportation Eliminates waste through exhaust Gives off carbon monoxide (gas exchange) Requires water to cool engine Can move at fast speeds Made of atoms and molecules Car

Non-living Cloud Composed of water vapor (very small water droplets) Grows as vapor condenses around tiny air particles Requires energy to form Appears white because it reflects light Requires warm air to lift vapor Moved by the wind Made up of atoms and molecules

Non-living Rock Composed of minerals Formed and transformed by temperature and pressure Considered important tool for early humans Sometimes mined for its metal ore Can provide evidence of ancient environments Along with minerals, forms the whole earth Made up of atoms and molecules

13 Compare Living and Nonliving Think about the following questions as you fill out your worksheet. What characteristics are shared by the horse, the cactus, the mushroom and the paramecium? Does a car have anything in common with any of the living things? What about a cloud? A rock?

14 Concluding Discussion Based on these cards, what are some characteristics of life? Can a living thing have some, but not all, of these characteristics?

15 Characteristics of Life Made of cells Grows and develops Requires energy Reproduces Eliminates waste Exchanges gases Requires water