Characteristics of Life Quiz

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of all living things?

A growth and development C unresponsive to the environment
B ability to move D ability to reproduce
2. Which of the following characteristics of living things best explains why humans sweat when they get
hot?
A growth and development C using energy
B maintaining a stable internal D ability to reproduce
environment
3. An ______________________ is another name for a living thing.
A organism C person
B cell D amoeba
4. Which of the following characteristics of living things best explains why your legs and arms get longer
and stronger as you get older?
A Living things respond to their environment.
B Living things maintain internal balance.
C Living things are made up of units called cells.
D Living things grow and develop
5. Both a fast-moving stream and a dog respond to the environment and grow and develop, but this
characteristic of life is why a dog is considered alive and a stream isn’t.
A The ability to move C The ability to grow and develop
B Being made of cells D The ability to change over time
6. Which of the following characteristics of living things is very important for a group or organisms, but
not a single organism?
A Living things respond to their environment.
B Living things maintain internal balance.
C Living things are made up of units called cells.
D Living things reproduce
7. A word to describe change over time is:
A organism C evolution
B cell D reproduction
8. In all of our cells there is DNA. Which characteristic does this fact best describe?
A Living things respond to their environment.
B Living things maintain internal balance.
C Living things are based on a universal genetic code.
D Living things grow and develop
9. Before a big soccer game Charlie always eats a big dinner. Which characteristic of life does this fact
best describe?
A Living things respond to their C Living things reproduce
environment.
B Living things grow and develop D Living things use energy
10. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of life?
a. Evolution
b. growth
c. mobility
11. Which of the following is the correct order for increasing complexity?
a. cells -> tissues -> organs -> organ systems
b. organs -> organ systems -> tissues -> cells
c. tissues -> cells -> organ systems -> organs
12. Which of the following statements is true?
a. Evolution is a characteristic of most—but not all—forms of life.
b. Living things can alter their environment.
c. Nonliving things do not display metabolism.
13. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
a. Growth requires that an organism takes material from the environment.
b. Organisms have patterns for building their structures.
c. The material taken from the environment need not be transformed before it is used to create
new tissues.