1. Characteristics of Living Things

2. All living things are composed of some of the same basic elements… organized differently
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Oxygen

3. Spontaneous Generation
The theory that life could “spring up” from non-living matter
Disproved by Francesco Redi in 1668 through his meat/maggot experiment

4. 1. All living things are made of cells
Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things.
Cells come from other cells
Unicellular: single celled organisms (bacteria)
Multicellular: organisms made of many cells (humans)

5. 2. All living things have movement
Animals move to find food and shelter. Movement can be the difference between life and death.
Plants do not move, but they can bend toward sunlight.
All living things also have internal movement of substances (food, water, waste, etc.)

6. 3. Must obtain energy
Metabolism: The chemical reactions that occur in living things to produce energy and the basic materials needed for life processes
Ingestion: To take in food and nutrients
Digestion: Break down of food
Chemicals used during and formed through these processes are used for growth and repair OR are stored for later (sugars and fats).
Ex.) saliva contains an enzyme called amylase which helps break down starches into sugar, beginning the process of digestion

7. Energy continued…
Respiration: Breaking down food to release its energy.
-The heart pumps blood non-stop through a vascular network 96,600 kilometers (60,000 miles) long, the equivalent to twice the Earth's circumference at the equator!
All of these functions combined help organisms maintain homeostasis- a state of balance inside the body, stable internal conditions

8. 4. Gets rid of waste Excretion: Getting rid waste materials
Ex.) exhaling carbon dioxide, excreting nitrogenous waste products, which otherwise can be poisonous to the body.

9. 5. Living things grow and develop
Birth- very dependent on others for their well being
Growth- become more complex, more independent
Lifespan: how long an organism lives (from birth to death)

10. 6. Living things respond to their environment
Stimulus: signal to which an organism reacts (change in environment
Ex.)When the season changes from winter to spring there is much more dust and pollen in the air.
Response: some action, movement, or change in behavior due to stimulus
-Ex.) you sneeze to keep germs, pollen and dust from entering your body.

11. Response to stimuli continued….
When organisms continually respond to their changing environment new adaptations and characteristics can evolve within the species.
Ex.) The finches of Galapagos Islands started out as the same species. Over time natural selection created many new species based on which beak was most “fit” to get food in its environment.

12. 7. Living things reproduce
Sexual reproduction: Combination of egg and sperm to create offspring, two partners required (male and female)
Most are multicellular
Asexual reproduction: Only one parent, produces offspring identical to the parent
Bacteria (unicellular), and some plants

13. Reproduction continued…
In both types of reproduction, the offspring receive a set of special chemical “blue prints” or plans that determine the characteristics of that living thing, which will again be passed on the next generation.
These “blue prints” of these characteristics is also known as DNA