Characteristics of Life  Involves the combination of male and female

sex cells
 All living things share some basic properties.
 Cellular Organization Metabolism
 Reproduction
 Metabolism (Obtain and Use Energy)  Living organisms need energy to grow, develop,
 Homeostasis repair damage, and reproduce
 Heredity Homeostasis
 Responsiveness
 Growth and Development  A stable state of conditions in the body that are
 Adaptation necessary for life
 Levels of Organization  Body temperature
 Blood volume
Cellular Organization
 pH balance
 Smallest unit capable of all life functions  Water balance
 Unicellular Organisms
 Entire organism is made up of one single cell Heredity
 Bacteria and protists  Genes carry hereditary information
 Multicellular Organisms  Genes are composed of DNA
 The organism is made up of many cells  Heredity is the reason children resemble their
 Cells have specialized functions within the parents
organism
Responsiveness
Levels of Organization
 Organisms react to stimuli:
 The hierarchy of increasing complexity within the  Light
cells.  Temperature
 Odor
 Sound
 Gravity
 Heat
 Water
 Pressure
 An example is a plant’s leaves and stems growing
toward light
Growth and Development

 Growth means to get bigger in size

Adaptation

 A process that enables organisms to become better

Reproduction suited to their environment
 Reproduction is the process of producing new  Species obtain adaptations through evolution over
organisms of the same type great periods of time
 Asexual Reproduction  Desert plants have succulent waxy leaves and stems
 A single parent organism reproducing by itself to store water and reduce water loss
 Sexual Reproduction
 Two different parent organisms contribute
genetic information