Joanna Espinosa

Professor Mildred T. Sparks

Advanced Reading 0990
11/11/14

Living Things Respond

Since the beginning of time, the ability to act has defined living organisms. They are free
to act or to be acted upon. Organisms that are not living can only be acted upon. Living things
are also subject to death and every living thing on this earth will die. Therefore, they must
reproduce. Because they are able to act for themselves, as the environment changes, they adapt.
As I have reflected on how living things respond, I have come to understand that living
organisms can make decisions of their own free will and choice. Living things have to act in
order to survive. They must find shelter, food and adapt in order to be a living thing. For
example, if I lightly shove a human being they will react and not fall over. On the other hand, if I
push over a floor lamp it will not react, but be acted upon.
All organisms do respond to their environment, like light and sound for example, if I had
a rock and a bug and I flash the light to the rock, the rock does not respond to the light but the
bug will move away from light either because the bug does not like light or wants to hide under
something dark. A baby will react if its asleep and a sudden loud slam occurs and the baby will
be frightened and even cry as a reaction.
Therefore, living things have to act in order to survive. For example, a baby chick when
barley hatching out of its egg it first responds is to find guidances and protection from the
mother duck. Therefore, the mother duck will, teach the baby chick how to survive in the
environment they are in, and the baby chick will learn how to hunt for its own food and how to
hide from predators that can be harm. Even climate is something a baby chick would need to

adapt to because, snow and rain and strong winds can be too cold and the baby chick will need
find a warmer home.
Lions are animals that hunt and have defense behaviors, they adapt to an environment in
were survival is part of their life. Lions will protect their own from predators, and have certain
skills of how to hunt there food. Just like any other living thing, lions mate to reproduce more of
their kind and increase their population.
In conclusion, living things respond to life in many different ways. Organisms in the
environment grow and develop, and reproduce. Every living thing will do its best to survive.
Living things will evolve as a responds to the environment whether its climate, danger, or a need
of a better home the cycle continues for every living thing.

I truly enjoyed learning about how living things respond; I have gained knowledge
through my research and readings from the book. I like how I learned about the different type of
living things. How every living thing adapts to the environment differently with climate and
shelter and food. Every living thing responds differently, like for example a dog would freeze in
the snow, but a polar bear is perfectly fine in that temperature.

Works Cited
Harcourt, Houghtion. "Characteristics of Living Things." <i>Characteristics of Living
Things</i>. Mifflin, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
&lt;http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/biology/biology/the-science-of-biology/characteristicsof-living-things&gt;.
"The 8 Characteristics of Living Things" StudyMode.com. 11 2012. 2012. 11 2012
<http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-8-Characteristics-Of-Living-Things-1255864.html>.
Cruz. "Characteristics of Living Organisms." <i>Characteristics of Living
Organisms</i>. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.