(CSF) Characteristics of Living Things Lesson

Characteristics of Living Things Lesson

Is there a fundamental characteristic that exists amongst all living things? They are alive. What do we mean when we say that something is alive? Take a few minutes to think about how we would describe life. Think about several characteristics that all living things seem to have in common or are able to do.

 

Watch the following presentation to learn more about the Characteristics of Living Things.

 

Living Things Share 8 Life Characteristics

  1. Made of cells
  2. Obtain and use energy
  3. Grow and develop
  4. Reproduce
  5. Respond to their environment
  6. Adapt to their environment
  7. Have universal genetic code
  8. Maintain homeostasis

 

Cells are the basic unit of structure and function in all organisms. A living thing may be a single-celled organism, or unicellular. However, most living things are multicellular (or many-celled) organisms. All living things store information in molecules called DNA or RNA. This information, present in every cell, provides instructions on how the cells in the living thing will survive and carry out their function. They contain many specialized cells such as blood cells which can transport oxygen throughout your body. Living things also take in and use energy to perform functions such as move muscles, break down food, and remove waste. Plants get their energy from the sun, and other organisms get their energy by consuming other organisms.

Living things can grow and develop. Just think about how the cells in your body have grown and changed from when you were a baby. The cells in your body make new cells in a process called cell division. Living things can reproduce to make offspring that resemble the parent.

Living things can react to a stimulus, a change in an organism's environment that causes it to react. Populations of organisms can change over time through adaptations.

 

Watch the following video to better understand homeostasis.

 

An organism can react to the changes in its environment with a response. Have you ever walked into a very cold room and your body began to shiver? The stimulus was the cold temperature inside the room that prompted your body to shiver, which is the response from your body. Shivering can help regulate your body's temperature by producing and conserving heat. Although the conditions in our surroundings are changing, the conditions inside our bodies must try to remain constant or stable. Maintaining a constant and stable internal environment is called homeostasis. As humans, we can adapt to cold weather by wearing more clothing, insulating our homes, and using electricity to heat our homes.  

 

Watch the following video: The Basics of Biology: What is Life? While watching the video, think about the characteristics of living things.

 

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