Characteristics of Living Things Living things have six characteristics in common.

All living things: have cells. sense and respond to change. reproduce. have DNA. use energy. grow and develop.

All living things have cells. Living things are composed of one or more cells Smallest unit that can carry life. Living things made of more than one cell have specialized cells.

QUICK LAB Turn to page 55 in your books

All living things sense and respond to change Stimulus-a change that affects the activity of an organism. Stimuli can be lights, sounds, hunger or anything that causes an organism to respond in some way.

Living things reproduce Sexual reproduction- reproduction in which sex cells from two parents unite to produce offspring that share traits from both parents. Asexual reproduction- reproduction that does not involve the union of sex cells and in which one parent produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent.

All living things have DNA deoxyribonucleic acid DNA carries the instructions for an organisms traits. Parents pass DNA to their organisms during reproduction. The passing of traits is called heredity.

All living things use energy. Living things use energy to carry out the chemical activities of life. For example;changing energy into food, breaking down food, moving materials into and out of the cell, growing, and building new cells.

All living things grow and develop. Single celled organisms- the cell gets bigger and divides making other organisms. Mulitcellular organisms- the number of cells increase causing the organism to get bigger.