1. Quick write –write the entire prompt at the top of a piece of paper and then write for the entire time you are given
What is biology?
What does it mean to be alive/ what makes something alive?
What is the difference between living, non-living and dead?

2. Are these living?

3. What Does it Mean to Be Alive?
What Are The Characteristics of Life?

4. Characteristics of Life!
All living things share some basic properties  Eight Characteristics of Life
M  Metabolism
R  Respond to Stimuli
G  Growth & Development
R  Reproduction
E  Evolve & Adapt
C  Composed of cells (+1)
H  Homeostasis

5. METABOLISM:
All living organisms obtain & use energy to grow, develop, repair damage, and reproduce

6. Metabolism All chemical reactions occurring within an organism
Anabolism + Catabolism = Metabolism
Anabolism = building up complex substances from simpler ones (ex: photosynthesis)
Catabolism = breaking down complex substances into simpler ones (ex: cellular respiration)

7. All Living Things Respond to Their Environment
Example: A plant’s leaves and stems grow toward light
Organisms react to stimuli:
Light
Temperature
Odor
Sound
Gravity
Heat
Water
Pressure

8. ALL ORGANISMS GROW & DEVELOP – what’s the difference between the two??
Growth & Development
ALL ORGANISMS GROW & DEVELOP – what’s the difference between the two??

9. All Living Things Grow
Growth means to get bigger in size

10. All Living Things Develop
Development involves a change in the physical form or physiological make-up of an organism

11. All Living Things Reproduce
Reproduction is the process of producing new organisms of the same type
Two types:
1. Asexual Reproduction
A single parent organism reproducing by itself – usually by splitting itself in half

12. 2. Sexual Reproduction
Two different parent organisms contribute genetic information
Involves the combination of male and female sex cells

13. All Living Things Adapt to Their
Environment Through Evolution
Adaptation
A process that enables organisms to become better suited to their environment
Species obtain adaptations through evolution, which occurs over great periods of time

14. An Example of Adaptation
Desert plants have succulent waxy leaves and stems to store water and reduce water loss

15. All Living Things are Made Up of Cells
Smallest unit capable of all life functions
- Life’s basic units of structure and function
Unicellular Organisms
Entire organism is made up of one single cell
Bacteria and protists

16. Multicellular Organisms
The organism is made up of many cells
Cells have specialized functions within the organism

17. Cellular Organization (the +1)
When an organism is multicellular, the cells are organized so that they group together to form organs and systems
Atoms/molecules -> cells -> tissues -> organs -> organ systems

18. All Organisms Maintain Homeostasis
Ability of an organism to maintain relatively constant internal conditions
Body temperature (shivering when cold to warm up/sweating when hot to cool off)
Water balance – water entering or leaving cells depending on how much is available in the body
All organ systems contribute to homeostasis

19. Characteristics of Life!
All living things share 7 basic properties  Seven Characteristics of Life
M  Metabolism
R  Respond to Stimuli
G  Growth & Development
R  Reproduction
E  Evolve & Adapt
C  Composed of cells (+1)
H  Homeostasis
* Disclaimer: This powerpoint presentation is a compilation of various works.

20. Divide a piece of notebook paper into 8 squares – for each square, draw an illustration (not just a drawing, include a caption) for one of the characteristics of life