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

2. Exploring LIFE Biology – The study of Life
What does it mean to be ALIVE?
How do you know if something is ALIVE?

3. Is Fire ALIVE?

4. Characteristics of Life!
All living things share some 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

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

6. Living Organisms 1. PRODUCERS: 2. CONSUMERS:
- Plants and other photosynthetic organisms
- Produce their own food (from CO2, H2O, & the sun)
upon which the entire ecosystem depends
2. CONSUMERS:
- Animals:
Obtain nutrients and energy from consuming the food made by producers

7. Anabolism
Process of building up complex substances from simpler substances
Building up cells and cellular components
Photosynthesis

8. Catabolism
Process of breaking down complex substances into simpler substances to release energy
Digestion
Cellular Respiration

9. Metabolism All chemical reactions occurring within an organism
Anabolism + Catabolism = Metabolism

10. 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

11. ALL ORGANISMS GROW & DEVELOP
Growth & Development
ALL ORGANISMS GROW & DEVELOP

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

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

14. 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

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

16. All Organisms Pass Along Hereditary Traits
Genes carry hereditary information
Genes are composed of DNA
Heredity is the reason children resemble their parents
Mutations change DNA code and can be passed from generation to generation

17. Evolution
While looking for the unity of life processes  Recognize the great diversity of appearance and behavior of species on this Earth
Species differ greatly in their adaptations to the many distinct environments on Earth
Both the unity and diversity of organisms can be explained by the mechanisms of evolution

18. 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

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

20. Cellular Organization
Living organisms
Consist of organic molecules  organized to form cells
Cells  Life’s basic units of structure and function
Composed of one or more cells

21. All Living Things are Made Up of Cells
Smallest unit capable of all life functions
Unicellular Organisms
Entire organism is made up of one single cell
Bacteria and protists

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

23. 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

24. Living Organisms are Homeostatic
Homeostasis:
Ability of an organism to maintain relatively constant internal conditions
* Example: Temperature regulation in the human body
All organ systems contribute to homeostasis

25. 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.