Characteristics of Living Things

Characteristics
of Living things
Characteristics of Living Things

Atoms are the basic building block of matter
that make up everything, from the air you
breathe to the chair you are sitting on; even you
are composed of atoms. When atoms are
combined with 2 or more atoms they become
molecules. when they are made of different
atoms theyre called compounds.

Living things are all alike in several ways. All organisms
share six characteristics.
1. Living things have cells.
2. Living things sense and respond to things.
3. Living things reproduce.
4. Living things have DNA.
5. Living things use energy.
6. Living things grow and develop.

A cell is a membrane-covered structure that
contains all the materials necessary for life. The
membrane that surrounds the cell separates
the contents of the cell from the cells
environment. Most cells are too small to see
with the naked eye.

How many cells do you think an adult human
male is composed of?

In an organism with many cells, different kinds
of cells perform specialized functions.
In an organism made up of only one cell,
different parts of that cell perform different
functions.

All organisms have the ability to sense change
in their environment and respond to that
change.
A change that affects the activity of the
organism is called a stimulus.

Even though an organisms outside
environment may change, conditions inside an
organisms body must stay the same. The
maintenance of a stable environment is called
homeostasis.

Organisms make other organisms similar to
themselves. They do so in one of two ways: by
sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction.

Sexual Reproduction:
Asexual Reproduction:
Two parents produce

offspring that will share
characteristics of both
parents.
Most animals and plants
utilize this method.
A single parent produces

offspring that are identical
to the parent.
Most single-celled
organisms utilize this
method.

The cells of all living things contain the
molecule deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA.
DNA controls the structure and the function of
cells. When organisms reproduce, they pass
copies of their DNA to their offspring. Passing
DNA ensures that offspring resemble parents.

Organisms use energy to carry out the activities
of life. These activities include making food,
breaking down food, moving materials into and
out of cells, and building cells. An organisms
metabolism is the total of all the chemical
activities that an organism performs.

All living things, whether they are made of one
cell or many cells, grow during periods of their
lives.

Single-celled
organisms:
The cell gets larger and
divides; making other
organisms.
Multi-cellular organisms:
The number of cells
gets larger, and the
organism gets bigger.
They may also develop
and change as they
grow.
Necessities of Life
Water
Air
A place to live
Food
Water
Your body is primarily made up of water.
Your cells and the cells of almost all living
things are approximately 70% water. Most
chemical reactions involved in metabolism
require water.
Water
Organisms differ greatly in how much water
they need and how they get it. You could
survive for only about 3 days without water.
You get water from the fluids you drink and the
food you eat.
Water
On the other hand the desert-dwelling
kangaroo rat never drinks; it gets all of its water
needs from the food it eats.
Air
Air is a mixture of several different gases,
including oxygen and carbon dioxide. Most
living things use oxygen in the chemical
process that releases energy from food.
Air
Although almost all living things need air, some
do not. Organisms that can live without air are
called anaerobic organisms.
A Place to Live
All organisms need a place to live that contains
all of the things needed for their survival. Some
require large amounts of space and some only
need a small amount.
A Place to Live
Space on Earth is limited. So, organisms will
often compete with each other for food, water
and other necessities.
Food
All living things need food. Food gives
organisms energy and raw materials needed to
carry out life processes. Organisms use
nutrients from food to replace cells and build
body parts. But not all organisms get food in
the same way.
Food
Organisms can be grouped into three different
groups based on how they get their food.
Producers
Consumers
Decomposers
Food
Producers such as plants make their own
food. Most producers use energy from the
sun to make food from water and carbon
dioxide. Some will get their food from the
chemicals in their environment.
Food
Consumers take food by consuming (eating)
other organisms.
Decomposers are organisms that get their
food by breaking down the nutrients in dead
organisms or animal wastes.
Food
All organisms need a way to break down food
in order to use the nutrients in it.
Nutrients are made of molecules. A molecule is
a substance made when two or more atoms
combine.
Food
Molecules found in living things are usually
made of different combinations of six elements:
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen,
phosphorus, and sulfur. These elements
combine to form proteins, carbohydrates, lipids,
ATP, and nucleic acids.
Proteins
A great deal of the life processes that occur in
the cell involve proteins. Proteins are
macromolecules that consists of one or more
long chains of amino acids.
Proteins
When an organism breaks down the proteins it
consumes it supplies cells with amino acids
that the cell will then transform into new
proteins by linking the amino acids.
Proteins
Proteins have lots of jobs within the body.
Sometimes you can see the structures that
proteins form; like hair, horns, feathers and
webs. Others are very small and can be found
within a cell helping it to do its job.
Proteins
The proteins found in blood cells (hemoglobin)
are responsible for delivering and releasing
oxygen throughout the body.
Enzymes are responsible for speeding up
chemical reactions in the body.
Others help protect the cell in a variety of ways.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are molecules made of sugars.
Cells utilize carbohydrates as an energy source
as well as a way to store energy. There are two
kinds of carbohydrates; simple carbohydrates
and complex carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates are made up of one or
two sugar molecules. The sugar found in fruits
and the sugar that is found at your house are
simple carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are made when the
body has more sugar than it needs. They are
made of hundreds of sugar molecules linked
together. Potatoes, chickpeas, oats and
strawberries are examples of complex
carbohydrates.
Lipids
Lipids are oils, waxes and steroids and cannot
mix with water. Some lipids store energy like
fats and oils others form cell membranes.
Lipids
Fats and oils store energy. Cells will use the
energy that is stored in fats and oils when it has
exhausted its supply of carbohydrates. Oils are
more likely to be found in plants and are usually
liquid at room temperature. Fats are more likely
found in animals and are usually solid at room
temperature.
Lipids
Phospholipids are the molecules that form most
of the cell membrane. The heads of
phospholipids are attracted to water and the
tails are repelled by water. When phospholipids
are in water the tails will turn towards each
other and the heads will arrange themselves
towards the water.
Lipids
ATP
Another important molecule in the cell is
adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which
transports chemical energy within cells for
metabolism. The energy in carbohydrates and
lipids are transferred to ATP which provides
fuel for activities within the cell.
Nucleic Acids
Nucleic Acids provide the cell with all of the
instructions needed to make proteins. They are
large molecules that can be made of thousands
of nucleotides. The sequence of those
nucleotides stores information which acts like a
blueprint to make proteins.
Nucleic Acids
When a cell needs to make a protein it gets the
information from the order of the nucleotides in
DNA. This order of nucleotides tells the cell the
order of the amino acids that are linked
together to make that protein.

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