Department of Education

Region III
DIVISION OF PAMPANGA

Earth and Life Science

“Wanted: Dead or Alive?”

Properties of Life

Prepared by: Rommer S. Lopez RN, LPT

Del Carmen Nation High School

Learning Competency: Explain the evolving concept of life based on emerging pieces
of evidence.
Objectives:
a. Determine whether something is alive or not.
b. Identify the different characteristics that make up a living thing.

Guide Card
Biology is the science that studies life, but what exactly is life? This may sound like a
silly question with an obvious response, but believe it or not, it is not always easy to define life.
For example, a question that has always been argued, “Are viruses alive or not?” from a branch
of biology called virology, studies viruses which exhibit some of the characteristics of living
entities but lack others. It turns out that although viruses can attack living organisms, cause
diseases, and even reproduce, they do not meet the criteria that biologists use to define life.

From its earliest beginnings, biology has wrestled with these questions: What are the
shared properties that make something “alive”? And once we know something is alive, how do
we find meaningful levels of organization in its structure?

And now your journey through the world of science will quench your thirst to decipher
the truth behind, “Wanted: Dead or Alive?”.

Pre-Test: Read and analyze each statement carefully. Write TRUE if the statement is correct.
Otherwise, write FALSE is the statement is incorrect.

1. All living things are made up of one or more cells.

2. All living things contain genes.

3. Growth is the same as development.

4. All living things consumes food for energy.

5. Plants are also capable of movement.

6. All living things grow and develop.

7. Bacteria are also living things.

8. All living things are capable of movement.

9. A seed is not yet considered as living until it starts to grow.

10. All living things can reproduce.

11. All living things breath oxygen.

12. All living things bleed.

13. Living things are made up of non-living things.

14. Living things rely on other living things to survive.

 15. Corona virus is considered as a living thing.

Let’s have a Review:

Even a small child realizes that a cat or a plant is alive, while rocks and cars are not.
However, a phenomenon called “life” transcends a mere single sentence/ phrase definition. It is
because we recognize life by what living things do, apparently by the characteristics/properties
associated with life.

And from here we always go back to the main question, “What Is life?”. When you are
already thinking like a biologist, many interesting questions probably occur to you when you are
outdoors surrounded by the natural world. It is undeniable that more than anything else, Biology
is a quest of ongoing inquiry about the nature of life and even the origin of life.

So, we better ask, “What are the properties that make up a thing in order for it to be
considered as truly alive?” As we move on, we will learn each property and describe how they
are categorized as living creatures around us.

ACTIVITY CARD #1: 4 Pics 1 Word

Observe and analyze each group of pictures. These images show the properties associated with
living creatures. Jumbled letters serve as clues to the answer. Write the correct letters inside the
blank boxes to decipher the terminologies.
DISCUSSION OF THE ACTIVITY

IMPORTANT POINTS:

 Pictures on #1 shows the following: body parts of a rabbit, parts of a wing structure of a
bird, parts of a microorganism and structural system of the human body.
 Pictures on #2 shows the following: The unusually large and hairy ears of a fennec fox,
water lilies floating in swamp water, a sun bird sipping on a flower and a gecko
camouflaged in a mossy tree trunk.
 Pictures on #3 shows the following: The veiny large ears of a jack rabbit, a sweaty man
drinking a bottled water, large ears of an African elephant, and pigs lying in a puddle of
mud.
 Pictures on #4 shows the following: a man about to munch a hefty hamburger, a
dragonfly devouring a mosquito, a bee harvesting nectar from a flower, and a carabao
chewing a bunch of grass.
 Pictures on #5 shows the following: sprouting squash seedlings, stages of a human life,
life cycle of a fly, and life cycle of a butterfly.
 Pictures on #6 shows the following: Folding leaves of a Makahiya plant when touched, a
porcupine with protruding needle-like quills to deter a predator, a frilled lizard with wide
open frills and mouth, a green tree snake sticking out its fangs.
 Pictures on #7 shows the following: A skink with laid eggs, a hen with its chicks, a pig
nursing its young, and a jumping spider covering its eggs with web.
 Pictures on #8 shows the following: a variety of land and water thriving species, a variety
of flowering plants, a variety of mushrooms in the forest floor, a variety of creatures
living in a savanna.
ACTIVITY CARD #2: Life Spiral
Illustrate the correct levels of organization among living things. Choose the correct term from the
word pool to identify each picture in the diagram. Write your answer inside each corresponding
box.
ACTIVITY CARD #3: Match So Much
Directions: Match column A with the correct answer on column B. Write only the letter of answer
on the blank provided.

A B

_____1. ORGANIZATION a. ability to produce own offspring

_____2. RESPONSE TO STIMULI b. regulate balance in internal

environment

_____3. REPRODUCTION c. change in size and number of

cells

_____4. ADAPTATION d. ability to adjust the genetic

makeup overtime
_____5. METABOLISM e. chemical reactions from
consumption of food to produce
energy

_____6. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT f. presence of specialized,

coordinated parts.

_____7. DIVERSITY AND UNITY g. shared similar genetic identity and

a range of varied cellular structure

_____8. HOMEOSTASIS h. sensitivity or irritability to an

external factor.

DISCUSSION OF THE ACTIVITY

IMPORTANT POINTS:

To be classified as a living thing, an object must have the following properties:

 It is made up of cells. It is composed of specialized and coordinated structure. (Organization)

 It can adjust and change its genetic composition overtime. (Adaptation)
 It maintains and regulates an internal balance. (Homeostasis)
 It consumes food and converts it to usable energy. (Metabolism)
 It can grow and develop. (Growth and Development)
 It can detect changes in the environment and respond to them. (Response)
 It can produce its offspring. (Reproduction)
 It shares similarities in genetic composition though may vary in structure and appearance.
(Diversity and Unity)

ENRICHMENT CARD#1: Property Used Properly

Identify the property among living things that best describes each example below.
1. _________________________________

A Skink known as Tarebalak in Kapampangan

basks in the morning sun to raise its internal

body temperature.

2. _________________________________

Mole cricket (Camaru in local language) eggs

are laid inside a chamber. The two large dots on

each egg are the eyes of the maturing first instar

nymph. The two smaller dots are the mandibles.

3. _________________________________
The Chestnut Munia (Denas Paking in
Kapampangan) or the “Mayang Pula” reigned
as the National Bird before its title was given
to the Philippine Eagle in 1995. It has bluish gray
beaks that are designed to break open
grains such as rice.

4. ________________________________

Ipil-Ipil trees (Wild Tamarind) open their leaves

during the day to collect sunlight and then close

their leaves at night to prevent water loss.

5. ________________________________________

Magnified photo of multi-hued mold colonies

thriving in agar plates forming asexual spores

wherein the nucleus divides into two and the

bud splits off once it is the same size as the

parent cell.

6. ________________________________________

Pepper fruit rot caused by the enzymes secreted

by the hyphae of the fungi Fusarium solani

softens the fruit thereby allowing its mycelium to

invade the interior of the fruit to absorb the

nutrients.

7. ________________________________________

The common Fruit Fly belongs to the Kingdom

Animalia because it ingests food, is multicellular,

and has no cell wall. The Class is Insecta

because it is terrestrial, has six legs, and

antennae. The Order is Diptera since it has

two-wings.

8. ________________________________________

The Coral Triangle hosts an astonishing amount

of marine life. Nearly 600 different coral species

are found here. Over 2000 different types of

reef fish, whales, dolphins, porpoises, dugongs

and whale sharks find refuge, breed or migrate

in these waters.

9. ________________________________________

The White-collared Kingfisher is a blue and white

bird and is the most common kingfisher that can

be seen in urban areas. When it hunts near water,

it dives quickly snaring its prey with its long beak.

10. ________________________________________

A Millipede has glands between its body

segments which produce a secretion with an

unpleasant smell in case of danger.

ENRICHMENT CARD#2: Model Association

Identify 5 living things that you can find around your house. Describe a property of life it manifests which
makes it alive.

Example:
Organism Property of life Explanation
Soldier Fly Growth and Development Soldier flies lay their eggs in
cavities near piles of rotting
organic matter to prepare
them with an available food
source as larvae until they
reach pupa stage.
 Organism Property of Life Explanation
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

ASSESSMENT CARD

Based on what you have learned about the different characteristics of living organisms, choose
the best answer on the following questions. Encircle the letter that corresponds to your answer.

Test Questions:

1. Which property of life is exemplified by the process called photosynthesis from which plants
produce their own food?

A. adaptation C. homeostasis

B. evolution D. metabolism

2. Which among the properties of life involves evolution by which changes occur in the
characteristics of organisms over time?

A. adaptation C. metabolism

B. homeostasis D. regulation

3. Which refers to the maintenance of internal conditions of an organism within a certain range?
 A. adaptation C. homeostasis

B. evolution D. metabolism

4. Which of the following organization sequences is correct in an elephant's composition, going

from smallest to largest?

A. cell, organ, tissue, organism, organ system

B. cell, organ, organ system, tissue, organism

C. cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism

D. organism, organ system, organ, tissue, cell

5. Which statement below best explains why viruses are NOT considered as living organisms?

A. viruses can multiply its numbers inside its host

B. viruses reacts to anti-viral medications

C. viruses do not undergo metabolic processes

D. viruses can adapt and evolve into different strains

6. Which statement is NOT true about living organisms?

A. Living things are made up of cells.

B. Living things adapt and evolve to survive.

C. Living things have different parts that depend on the structure and form for their functions.

D. Living things are made of organic elements only.

7. Which of the following is NOT an example of homeostasis?

A. Energy is captured by plants to convert light energy into chemical energy.

B. If there is too much glucose in the blood, insulin converts some of it to glycogen.

C. Sweating cools the body down when temperature rises.

D. The capillaries underneath your skin get constricted to take the blood away from the
surface of the skin to warm the body up.

8. Some members of a species have a genetic change that causes them to survive in their
environment. They have survived to reproduce and pass these genetic changes to their
offspring.

Which statement below best explains this situation?

A. All living organisms are made up of cells.

B. Different organisms must maintain different internal conditions.

C. Living things interact with their environment to survive.

 D. Living things are able to adapt through time.

9. Which example below best exemplifies "Growth and Development"?

A. A worker bee gathers both pollen and nectar from flowers to feed to the larvae and other

members of the colony.

B. A young female calf turns into a female cow capable of excreting milk from its mammary
glands.

C. A teenage male died after contracting COVID-19.

D. A matured Kangal dog measures from 30 to 32 inches for males.

10. Which example below best explains the difference between "Diversity and Unity"?

A. Aphids produce a sugary food for the ants, in exchange, ants care for and protect the
aphids from predators and parasites.

B. Fishes live harmoniously in a pond together with other water borne species.

C. Geckos are lizards known for its ability to climb on smooth surface while a Chameleon is
also a lizard known for its ability to change its skin color.

D. The forest is teeming with different species of plants and animals.

11. Fire can technically reproduce.  However, it is not considered a living thing because...

A. Fire does not use energy.

B. Fire does not contain DNA.

C. Fire does not respond to its environment.

D. Fire does not grow.

12. Which is NOT an example of plants demonstrating the characteristics of life?

A. A plant tends grow towards the sunlight.

B. Plants are forced to adapt depending on its environment.

C. There are stages of growth that plants go through depending on favorable conditions.

D. The leaves of a plant sway due to the blowing wind.

13. Which of the following characteristics of living things best explains why birds practice
migration?

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 are based on a universal genetic code.

14. Which among the following is basically required for the survival of all types living things?

A. Carbon Dioxide C. Oxygen

B. Energy D. Sunlight

15. A (An) ______ is any part of an organism's environment that causes a reaction.

A. adaptation C. species

B. organization D. stimulus

REFLECTION ACTIVITY

Answer the following questions based on your own understanding. You may try to search
through the internet to get more ideas for your answer.

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the way this concept defines the
characteristics of life? Can you think of any other ways to differentiate a living from a
non-living thing?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

2. What do you think about how life forms are organized? Do you think that this design was
just a mere coincidence or was there a grand designer behind? Explain why or why not.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

REFERENCE CARD

Earth and Life Science by Glen R. Mangali and Mylene D.G. Oliva, Diwa Publishing House,
2016 pages 95 – 96.
 Earth and Life Science by Teresita F. Religioso and Lilia G. Vengco, Phoenix Publishing
House, 2016 pages 161 – 129

Teacher’s manual pp. 167-173

https://www.worldwildlife.org/

https://ebonph.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/10-most-common-urban-birds/

https://www.livescience.com/53618-fungus.html

https://www.alberta.ca/diseases-of-sweet-pepper.aspx

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/properties-of-life/

ANSWER CARD:
Prepared by: Rommer S. Lopez RN, LPT

Del Carmen National High School