INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY Mrs. Stoops ASHN Spring 2015

DO NOW- ANSWER THIS ON PAPER. What makes something living? What makes something non-living? Give examples of each.

PREFIX BIO- MEANS LIFE SUFFIX -OLOGY MEANS STUDY OF Biology

BIOLOGY UNITS Cells Genetics Organisms Evolution Ecology

CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS Eight qualities that all living things share.

#1 LIVING THINGS ARE MADE UP OF CELLS. All organisms are composed of one or more cells. A cell is the smallest unit we consider to be living. (An organelle is not alive, but a cell is!) Cells can grow, respond to their surroundings, and reproduce. Cells are complex and highly organized.

#2 LIVING THINGS REPRODUCE. All organisms reproduce, which means they make new, similar offspring. Plants and animals engage in sexual reproduction, but not all living things reproduce this way. Reproduction allows DNA to be passed on to a new generation.

#3 LIVING THINGS ARE BASED ON A UNIVERSAL GENETIC CODE: DNA. All living things store the complex information they need to live, grow, and reproduce in a genetic code written in a molecule called DNA. That information is copied and passed from parent to offspring. The genetics code is universal to all living organisms, that is, they all share the same code.

#4 LIVING THINGS GROW AND DEVELOP. Every organism has a particular pattern of growth and development. During development, one cell divides again and again. Every organism starts as one cell and becomes unique as those cells divide.

#5 LIVING THINGS OBTAIN AND USE ENERGY. All organisms must take in materials and energy to grow, develop, and reproduce. In people and animals, that is food. In plants, that is sunlight.

#6 LIVING THINGS RESPOND TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT. Organisms detect and respond to stimuli from their environment. A stimulus is a signal to which an organism responds (like temerature).

#7 LIVING THINGS MAINTAIN A STABLE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: HOMEOSTASIS. All organisms need to keep their internal environment relatively stable, even when external conditions change dramatically. Homeostasis- maintaining a balance.

#8 ALL LIVING THINGS EVOLVE, OR CHANGE, OVER MANY GENERATIONS. Over many generations, groups of organisms evolve. Evolution links all forms of life to a common ancestor. Evidence of evolution is found in all living organisms and fossils.