2. CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS  Organisms are HIGHLY ORGANIZED. All organisms are made up of the same basic components, kind of building blocks: CELLS. (ORGANISM is an entire and independent living thing)  CELLS ARE THE UNIT OF STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF LIVING THINGS. CELLS CONTROL AND REGULATE THEIR OWN ACTIVITY.

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF ALIVE BEINGS 1. They have a complex, organized structure mainly made of organic molecules. 2. They respond to stimulation from the environment that surrounds them. 3. They keep actively their complex structure and their intern environment; this process is called homeostasis. 4. They obtain and use materials and energy of it’s environment and turn them in different forms. 5. They grow. 6. They reproduce, using a molecular pattern called DNA. 7. They generally posses the capacity to evolve and adapt.

4.  IRRITABILITY : Organisms respond to stimuli in different ways.

5.  REPRODUCTION : Process by which organisms produce more of their own.

6. HOMEOSTASIS  Organisms are able to maintain a nearly constant internal environment, although the surrounding may change. Homeostasis is the regulation of an organism’s internal environment to maintain conditions suitable for life.

7. Prokaryotes  Prokaryotes are organisms without a cell nucleus, or any other membrane-bound organelles. Most are unicellular, but some prokaryotes are Multicellular organisms.  The prokaryotes are divided into two domains: the bacteria and the archaea. Archaea or Archaebacteria are a newly appointed kingdom of life. These organisms were originally thought to live only in inhospitable conditions such as temperature, pH-extremes, and radiation, but have since been found in all types of habitat. From Old Greek pro - before + karyon nut or kernel, referring to the cell nucleus, + suffix –otos. KIND OF CELLS

8. Eukaryotes  Animals, plants, fungi, and protists are eukaryotes, organisms whose cells are organized into complex structures by internal membranes and a cytoskeleton. The most characteristic membrane bound structure is the nucleus. In the nucleus the genetic material, DNA, is arranged in chromosomes. Many eukaryotic cells also contain membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria, chloroplasts and Golgi bodies. Eukaryotes often have unique flagella made of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement. from the Greek ευ, meaning good/true, and κάρυον, meaning nut, refering to the nucleus

9. DNA  Short for Deoxyribonucleic acid  All genetic information as well as the instructions for making proteins is contained here  Its structure was discovered by James Watson and Francis Crick

10. DNA structure  Is composed of two strands of nucleotides forming a double helix  Nucleotides are composed of a simple sugar called deoxyribose, a phosphate group and a nitrogen containing base.

11. Concentration gradient : difference in concentration of a substance between one region and another Diffusion: process by which molecules move randomly from regions of high concentration to regions of low concentration Osmosis: movement of water through a differentially permeable membrane. Responds to concentration gradient CONCEPTS

12. How does substances move across membranes?  Passive transport :Substances move down concentration gradient. There’s no energy expenditure.  Active transport. Use energy to move substances against a concentration gradient

13. Osmosis  “Pure” water has higher concentration of water molecules than other water solution with any substance added.  A differentially permeable membrane has pores just large enough for water to pass through but small enough to be impermeable to any other molecule.

14. What is a Population? A population is one species living in a specific area. For example, all foxes living in an area form a population. Another example, all dandelions growing in an area form another population.

15. What is a Community?  A community is formed from all living populations found in an area.  All the foxes, dandelions, grasshoppers, snakes, hawks, deer, and skunks living in one area each form their individual populations, but together make up a community.

16. What is a Ecosystem?  An ecosystem is formed by the interactions between all living and non-living things What is Ecology? Ecology is how living and non-living things affect each other in their environment.

17. The geography of ecosystems