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

2. Reach ’n Go All living things share some basic properties:
Reproduction
Energy (Metabolism)
Adapt & Respond to their Environment
Cells
Homeostasis
Nucleic Acids (DNA & RNA)
Growth and Development
Organization

3. All Living Things Reproduce
All Living Things Reproduce
Reproduction is the process of producing new organisms of the same type
Asexual Reproduction
A single parent organism reproducing by itself
Ex) Hydra budding

4. Sexual Reproduction
Two different parent organisms contribute genetic information
Involves the combination of male and female sex cells (called gametes—the sperm & eggs)

5. All Living Things Obtain and Use Energy
All Living Things Obtain and Use Energy
Living organisms need energy to grow, develop, repair damage, and reproduce

6. Anabolism
The process of building up complex substances from simpler substances
Building up cells and cellular components
Photosynthesis

7. Catabolism
The process of breaking down complex substances into simpler substances to release energy
Digestion
Cellular Respiration

8. 
Metabolism
All of the chemical reactions occurring within an organism
Anabolism + Catabolism = Metabolism

9. All Living Things Adapt to Their
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

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

11. All Living Things Respond to Their Environment
All Living Things Respond to Their Environment
An example is a plant’s leaves and stems growing toward light
Organisms react to stimuli:
Light
Temperature
Odor
Sound
Gravity
Heat
Water
Pressure

12. All Living Things are Made Up of Cells
All Living Things are Made Up of Cells
Cells are the basic units of structure and function.
Unicellular Organisms
Entire organism is made up of one single cell
Bacteria and protists

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

14. All Organisms Maintain Homeostasis
All Organisms Maintain Homeostasis
A stable state of conditions in the body that are necessary for life
Body temperature
Blood volume
pH balance
Water balance

15. All Organisms Have Nucleic Acids
All Organisms Have Nucleic Acids
Contains the genetic information to carry out a cell’s function.
DNA and RNA are two types of nucleic acids
Based on a universal genetic code

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

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

18. All Living Things Are Organized
All Living Things Are Organized
Living things are arranged into different levels, from the simplest to the most complex forms