Regents Biology Properties of Life What characteristics do living creatures have in common?

Regents Biology Characteristics of Living Things  All living things:  have an orderly structure  produce offspring  grow and develop  adjust to changes in the environment  Use energy  Adapt to their environment

Regents Biology carbohydratesproteins Living creatures are ORGANIZED  All made of the same collection of chemicals, but we are organized as…  molecules  proteins, fats, carbohydrates, nucleic acids DNA

Regents Biology Living things are organized orderly structure: (one or more cells) ~ cell- smallest unit of life ~tissue- group of cells that perform a common function ~organ- group of tissue that perform a common function ~organ system- a group of organs that perform a common function ~organism- any complete living thing

Regents Biology Living creatures are ORGANIZED  All made of the same collection of chemicals, but we are organized as…  organelles & cells  plant cells & animal cells animal cell plant cell

Regents Biology Living creatures are ORGANIZED  All made of the same collection of chemicals, but we are organized as…  organs & organ systems  respiratory, circulatory, digestive, etc.

Regents Biology Living creatures REPRODUCE  Make the next generation

Regents Biology Living things make more living things  Reproduction~ the production of offspring.  ( necessary for species *to survive; not necessary for individual organism’s survival )  2 types:  1. asexual: 1 parent: offspring identical to parent  2. sexual: 2 parents, offspring not identical to parents  * A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring in nature

Regents Biology Living things change during their lives  Growth results in an increase in the amount of living material and the formation of new structures.(cell division )  All of the changes that take place during the life of an organism are known as its development.

Regents Biology Living things adjust to their surroundings  Anything in an organism’s external or internal environment that causes the organism to react is a stimulus  A reaction to a stimulus is a response.

Regents Biology Living creatures RESPOND  Respond to internal changes  Homeostasis  maintaining balanced conditions inside the body  Respond to external changes

Regents Biology Living things adjust to their surroundings  Regulation of an organism’s internal environment to maintain conditions suitable for its survival is called homeostasis

Regents Biology Living creatures use ENERGY mitochondria  Metabolism  all the reactions your body performs to make & use energy  eating & digestion & elimination of waste  synthesis = building  cellular respiration = making energy

Regents Biology Living things adapt and evolve  Any structure, behavior, or internal process that enables an organism to respond to environmental factors and live to produce offspring is called an adaptation  Adaptations are inherited from previous generations.  The gradual change in a species through adaptations over time is evolution.