Scribd
Upload
89 views

Lesson 1 Characteristics of Life

The document discusses key characteristics that distinguish living things from non-living things. It outlines that biology studies living things and that life involves metabolic, generative, responsive, and control processes. Some key traits of living things are that they are made up of cells, use energy, grow and develop through stages, and can reproduce.

Uploaded by

Krish D.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
89 views

Lesson 1 Characteristics of Life

The document discusses key characteristics that distinguish living things from non-living things. It outlines that biology studies living things and that life involves metabolic, generative, responsive, and control processes. Some key traits of living things are that they are made up of cells, use energy, grow and develop through stages, and can reproduce.

Uploaded by

Krish D.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

8/10/2018

Living vs. Non-Living

 Biology is concerned with the scientific study of  Metabolic processes


living things.
 Generative processes
 Life is a concept that has been subject to debate
 Responsive processes
among people in the scientific community.
 Control processes
 There has been a set of characteristics used to
distinguish living from non-living things.  Unique structural organization

 Living things undergo


 Living things use energy to
sustain life processes series of developmental
(metabolism) stages.
 Energy derived from bonds  Increase in number of cells
between molecules and size – growth
 Anabolism – synthesis of  Perpetuation of species –
complex molecules from reproduction
simple molecules
 Catabolism – conversion of
complex molecules to
simpler ones.

1
8/10/2018

 Involves the
combination of genetic
material from two
different cells to form
an offspring
 Sex cells or gametes

Growth is the
continuous
increase in size.

 A new organism arises


from a single parent
 The offspring is
identical with the parent
 Does not involve fusion
of genetic material from
two different cells
 Mitotic division and
differentiation

 Living things respond to  The ability of an organism


their environment in to respond to a stimulus
different ways. (external or internal)
 Irritability, individual  A stimulus is something
adaptation, and that evokes or elicits
population adaptation response
or evolution

2
8/10/2018

Phototropism

 The response of an organism to its surrounding


environment
Thigmotropism  Happens slower compared to irritability
 A way to withstand possible danger from the surrounding
environment
Gravitropism

 A population of organisms interact together to change over


time
 Termed as evolution by biologists
 The unifying theme of biology
 The most complex among the responsive processes

 Mechanisms that enable


to coordinate and
regulate bodily
processes
 Coordination ensures
that processes will
happen in proper
sequence
 Regulation ensures that
processes will happen
at a proper rate

3
8/10/2018

 Living things share a


common structural
organization.
 Living things are made
up of tiny structures
called cells – the basic
unit of life.
 Levels of biological
organization

“The whole is greater than


the sum of its parts.”

EMERGENT
PROPERTIES
still follow the laws of
chemistry and physics

Living things are based on a


universal genetic code.
Order
Generative processes
Reproduction

Growth and Metabolic processes


development
Energy Responsive processes
processing
Response to the Control processes
environment

Regulation Unique organizational


structure
Evolutionary
adaptation

4
8/10/2018

What does it mean to


be alive?
 Living things are based on a universal genetic code.
 Living things grow and develop.
 Living things respond to their environment.
 Living things reproduce.
 Living things maintain a stable internal environment.
 Living things obtain and use material and energy.
 Living things are made up of cells.
 Taken as a group, living things evolve.

You might also like