Characteristics of Living Things and Components of Life

April, 2011

Six Characteristics of Living Things

Living things are made of 1 or more cells the smallest unit can perform all life

functions has all the materials

necessary for life

Six Characteristics of Living Things

Living things sense and respond to change Stimulus-anything that causes a reaction or

change in an organism Homeostasis-maintaining a constant internal

state in a changing environment

Six Characteristics of Living Things

Living things reproduce Asexual reproduction - single parent produces

identical offspring Sexual reproduction - two parents produce

offspring

Six Characteristics of Living Things

Living things have DNA DNA- controls structure and function of cells Heredity - passing of traits from one generation

to the next

Six Characteristics of Living Things

Living things use energy Metabolism - total of all the chemical activities

the organism performs

Six Characteristics of Living Things

Living things grow and develop - all living things get larger and change as they grow (unicellular organisms divide)

Necessities of Life

Water - 70% of our bodies are water Air - oxygen and carbon dioxide used by a

number of organisms Shelter - some organisms stay in one place,

others migrate Food - used for energy

Who Eats What?

Producers - plants use light of sun to make sugar glucose from water and carbon dioxide

Consumers - eat plants and other animals, cannot make their own food

Decomposers - break down the nutrients in dead plants and animals

Organic Molecules

Proteins - made of amino acids, build structures, do certain jobs, and speed up chemical reactions (enzymes)

Carbohydrates - energy source and storage

Organic Molecules

Lipids Phospholipids create the cell membrane Fats and oils-store energy for use at later time

Organic Molecules

ATP- adenosine triphosphate-energy molecule in cells, made when cells break down glucose (sugar) from plants

Nucleic Acids- DNA and RNA; responsible for the creation of proteins that control cell function

Diagram of how ATP is made in cells through cellular respiration

Explanation of protein synthesis, the true function of DNA and RNA