Life Activities What is it that makes a “thing” alive?

Living Things Respond to the Environment We shiver when cold Frogs jump to water when threatened ameba move away from a “poison” environment EXAMPLES: In humans this is coordinated by the Nervous and Endocrine Systems

Living Things Transfer Energy Respiration “burning” food (glucose) in cells to release energy to move our muscles Photosynthesis converting sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to food (glucose)

Living Things Grow and Reproduce Growth can be the increase in the size of a cell (single celled organisms) OR The increase in the number of cells (multicelled organisms) Examples:

Other very important life activities Nutrition Excretion Regulation Synthesis

Nutrition Includes ingestion, absorption, photosynthesis Specifically getting nutrients from the environment and processing them. Processing means preparing for use for bodily functions requiring energy

Excretion This is the elimination of METABOLIC WASTES METABOLIC wastes are the products remaining after chemical reactions in our body

Regulation This term refers to all the things an organism does to keep it’s life activities in balance and responding to the environment In humans the NERVOUS AND ENDOCRINE(hormones) SYSTEMS do this job

Homeostasis Special term that refers to the maintenance of a constant internal balance in a living organism Examples: excretion of poisonous waste (urination) sweating

Synthesis This is the life activity that is responsible for MAKING NEW CHEMICALS OUR BODY NEEDS TO SURVIVE This is also the life activity that is primarily responsible for growth.