WHAT IS LIFE?

LIVING ORGANISM
Why are these organism
considered alive?

What are their common

characteristics?
 OBJECTIVE
 Learn the key characteristics shared by all
living things
Characteristics of Living
Organism
 8 characteristics of living
things
- Have orderly structure
- Have cells and DNA
- Reproduce
- Grow and Develop
- Acquire materials and energy
- Respond to environment
- Maintain internal balance
- Evolve over time as a species
 Have orderly structure
 Chemical component of living organism
are much more complex and organized
than those in nonliving things.
 Have same organic building blocks
- carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen
molecules.
 Have cells and DNA
 Unicellular
 Multi-cellular
 HAVE CELLS AND DNA
 Uni-cellular : one celled organism
(amoeba or bacteria)
 Multi-cellular: cells differentiate from a
single fertilized egg cell.
 Both above have DNA
 (bone cells, skin cells, muscle cells etc.
 All living things reproduce
 There are 2 ways in which this can be
done…
Types of reproduction
 All living things Reproduce
 There are 2 types of reproduction:
 Asexual : 1 parent (budding) - identical
 Bacteria ( Binary Fission)

 Sexual: 2 parents
 Cats
 Human
 Living things grow and develop
 What is the difference between the 2
words?
 Bacteria- grow, they just increase in size
 People – develop … they increase in size
and their bodily functions change over
time….until they become an adult
 ex) puberty…
Living things acquire materials and
energy
Where are they getting energy
from?
 Living things use energy to
grow/develop/reproduce… or just stay alive

 Where do we get energy from?

 Metabolism: combination of chemical
reactions through which an organism
builds up and breaks down materials (will
release energy) as it carries out life
processes
 Fast metabolism- break down
 Slow metabolism – store for later
 How obtain energy?
 Plants: From the sun’s energy
“photosynthesis”
 Lion: From eating other organisms
“herbivore, carnivore”
 Mushroom: From the remains of dead
organisms (decomposers)
 Living things respond to stimuli
Living things respond to immediate and long
term changes in their environment
 Stimulus- signal to which an organism responds
 Response- (what they do because of the
signal or reaction)
 Internal stimulus- ex.) sugar levels drop? …then
you feel hungry
 External: ex.) flower leans toward the window in
a classroom
 Practice Stimulus and Response
 My niece kicked me in the shin and I
screamed
 I slammed the door and the class jumped
 I turned the light on and the mouse ran
under the table
 I placed my hand on the hot stove and I
yanked it back and yelped
Maintain internal balance
 Maintain internal balance
 External: conditions may vary widely
 But internal…. Should be kept constant..
This is homeostasis
 Ex) temperature 37°C, water content, etc
 Ex of how it happens?
 Shivering/sweating
 Thirst/feeling of fullness
Evolve and adapt to environment
ATOM

MOLECULE

CELL

TISSUE

ORGAN BIOSPHERE

ORGAN SYSTEM ECOSYSTEM

ORGANISM POPULATION COMMUNITY

 ‘Do not take life too seriously.
You will never get out of it alive!’
 Short Quiz

Get ½ crosswise
Question:
1. Is a virus considered as living organism?
Why?
 Assignment
 1. Search the different theories about the
origin of life.
2. Bring following the materials: white
cartolina, coloring material. (by group)
Instruction:
Put a check mark on each organism to which characteristics it
belongs.

ORGANISM
CHARACTERISTICS
SUN
DOG STONE E. COLI AIR HUMAN WATER FUNGI EAGLE
FLOWER

Have cells and DNA Unicellular                  

Multicellular                  

Reproduce Sexual                  

Asexual                  

Grow and Develop                  

Acquire material and energy

                 

Respond to stimuli                  

Maintain internal balance

                 

Evolve over time                  

Answer the following questions:

 1. What is the difference between unicellular and

multicellular? Asexual and sexual type of
reproduction
 2. What is Homoestasis?
 3. What is the difference between living and non
living organism?
 4. What are the ways on how each organism gets
their energy?
 5. What are the 7 characteristic of living organism?