The document outlines 8 characteristics of life: 1. Living things are made of cells, either one cell (unicellular) or many cells (multicellular). 2. Living things reproduce, either sexually by combining genetic material from two parents or asexually with offspring identical to the parent. 3. All living things use DNA to store genetic information according to a universal genetic code.

1. CHARACTERISTICS
OF
L
F
I
E

2. 1. Living Things Are Made Up of Cells
• Unicellular organisms are made of 1 cell
• Multicellular organisms are made of more than 1 cell
• Cells are the smallest unit of an organism that can be
considered “alive”
Requirements For Life
Paramecium Dog

3. 2. Living Things Reproduce
• Sexual Reproduction: The mixing of genetic material
from 2 members of the same species
• Asexual Reproduction: Offspring are genetically
identical to the parent. No mixing of genetic material.
Requirements for Life
Sexual Reproduction Asexual Reproduction

4. 3. Living Things Are Based on a Universal Genetic Code
• All organisms store the complex information they
need to live, grow and reproduce.
• All information is written in a molecule called DNA.
Requirements For Life

5. 4. Living Things Grow and Develop
• During development a single egg divides again and
again
• New cells can be created and differentiate to perform
certain functions for the organism as time passes
Requirements For Life
Blue Oak Acorn Blue Oak Tree Sprouting

6. 5. Living Things Obtain and Use
Energy
• Energy is obtained and
used to grow, develop and
reproduce
• Metabolism: The total sum
of all chemical reactions in
the body
Requirements For Life

7. Requirements For Life
6. Living Things Respond to Their Environment
• Living things respond to stimuli to improve their
chances for survival
• A stimulus is a signal to which an organism responds

8. 7. Living Things Maintain a Stable Internal Environment
• Organisms need to keep conditions inside their
bodies as constant as possible.
• This process is called homeostasis.
✓ Sweat to release heat
✓ Sensations of thirst and hunger
Requirements For Life

9. 8. Taken as a Group, Living Things Evolve
• Basic traits individual organisms inherit from their
parents usually do not change.
• Over many generations, groups of organisms
typically evolve or change over time.
Requirements For Life

10. Specimen #1: Feather
Is It Alive?

11. Specimen #2: Fire
Is It Alive?

12. Specimen #3: Bean
Is It Alive?

13. Specimen #4: Yeast
Is It Alive?

14. BONUS: Virus
Is It Alive?