CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE WORKSHEET Biology is:

Name: =_____________________________________________
Grade & Section: Living Things are called:
Date & Time: =_____________________________________________
List Characteristics of ALL LIVING THINGS
A. Identify the characteristic of life that is illustrated by 1. __________________________________________
each of the following statements. 2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
WORD BANK 4. __________________________________________
• Made of Cells 5. __________________________________________
• Reproduction 6. __________________________________________
• Growth 7. __________________________________________
• Obtain and Use Energy 8. __________________________________________
• Development
• Responds to Stimuli
• Evolve/Adapt D. Life is organized into many levels. The simplest level at which
• Maintain homeostasis life exists is the cell. Life is also organized on nonliving levels
(below the cell) and levels above the organism.
1. _______________________ “That boy shot up five
inches in only one year.” DIRECTIONS: Use your notes to arrange the following levels of
2. _______________________ “Our cat had a litter of organization in order for simplest to most complex:
kittens yesterday.”
3. _______________________ “My dog has become much WORD BANK
less clumsy now that he is a year old.” • Tissue
4. _______________________ “Eat a good breakfast and • Cell
you will be able to run longer.” • Organ
5. _______________________ “When that car pulled in the • Organism
driveway, my cat ran to hide under the porch.” • Organ System
2
6. __________________ “That owl’s night vision allows it to LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION:
see the movement of mice on even the darkest night.” _______________ SIMPLE
7. _______________________ “Single-celled organisms live _______________
in the pond behind school.” _______________
8. _______________________ Your body normally _______________
maintains a temperature of 98.6OF. _______________ MOST COMPLEX

B. Stimulus vs Stimuli DIRECTIONS: Match each word to its definition

9. Which of the following is a stimulus, which is a response? _____ 1. Organ
_____ 2. Cell
a) the recess bell ringing in an elementary school _____ 3. Organ System
_________________ _____ 4. Organelle
b) your mouth watering at the sight of food on a plate _____ 5. Tissue
_________________ _____ 6. Organism
c) a sudden drop in air temperature
_________________ A. Basic unit of structure and function in an organism
d) a flu virus entering your body B. Group of similar cells that work together to perform a task
_________________ C. A living thing that may be unicellular or multicellular
e) getting “butterflies” in your stomach before giving D. Group of similar tissues working together like the heart or
a speech. lungs
_________________ E. Parts of a cell such as the nucleus

C. Living Thing vs Non-Living Thing

10.Determine if each of the following describes a living or

nonliving thing.

a) rust eating a hole in a metal bucket __________

b) an apple on a tree ______________
c) bacteria _______________
d) lightning ______________
e) a dinosaur fossil ______________
f) a wasp ________________