Biology

Ishik Boys High School

Unit 1
Chapter 1
Section 1
The world of biology (Characteristics of
life)
1st homework
Story of characteristics of life
Supervised by Mr. Ahmed Muhammed
Nadr
Grade: 10
 Harry and characteristics of life

Hello’ I’m Harry I’d like to tell my story and I think it is a

very amazing story that’s why I want to share it with you all.

It was a late time I was coming back to my home from the

party and suddenly I saw something but it
was a strange thing and silently from my
heart I told myself it is a horrible and
dangerous so let’s run but on the other hand
my mind was telling me stop and know
what is it and what is happening? So I went toward the strange
thing and I asked who are you and he told me I’m a cell and
I’m the basic unit of life. Then I was shocked and I was about
to faint because besides shocking I was afraid too much. Then
I told myself Harry be brave and ask because this is your day
to diagnose what is it exactly. I told Mr. Cell so, what do you
mean that you are a basic unit of life? Do
you see this wall? He asked. Yes I see I
answered. So, what the wall made of? It
made of blocks I answered. So, the walls
of this room together are making what?
He asked. The walls are making a room I answered. So, the
rooms together are making what? He asked. The rooms are
making the building I answered. So basically the building made
of what? He asked. Made of blocks I answered. So, do you see
this mouse and yourself? He asked. Yes, I see I answered.
Actually you, this mouse, and all living things are basically
made of cell he said. Oh my God I’m fainting now so, how
could be? How? How? So, why I can’t see my cells and I can
see you? I said. This issue is somehow
complex and has a long story that I can’t
explain it to you but the cells are so small
that can’t be seen by our naked eyes He said.
But what was wonderful is I saw the cell and doing some
actions and those things were strange and I asked Ok How is
your structure and how are you doing the actions? Actually I’m
well organized and I use the energy he said. How it could be?
Ok all living things consisted of cells for example, you as an
adult human you made of billions of cells and you have many
different types of cells and they are arranged to do specific
function and none of them is doing other’s functions and this is
called cellular arrangement he said. Second, I’m as one cell I
made of different smaller structures they’re called organelles.
Suddenly I interrupted him and I asked him so, what are our
organelles? Be patient and listen actually the organelles are the
components of the cell and each organelle is doing a specific
function examples of organelles like a nucleus, Golgi body,
mitochondria, smooth Endoplasmic reticulum, rough
Endoplasmic reticulum, cell membrane,…etc. He explained.
So, how are they? I asked. Mr. Harry I can’t tell you everything
about myself but each organelle is doing its’ functions without
doing other’s functions and this is a molecular organization he
explained. So, what else? I asked. Do you think those
works can be done without energy? He
asked. I said no it is impossible I
answered. So, inside the organisms
(living things) metabolism occurs and
even inside the cell metabolism occurs
and the energy is used in the metabolism process he said.
Excuse me, what is metabolism? I asked. Metabolism is the
sum of all chemical process that occur inside the organism he
answered. He continued and he asked that do you see this large
cup of water? Yes, I see. I answered. And do you see this large
empty cup he asked. Yes of course I see. I answered. Ok in the
organisms there are some process that occur to keep balance
and those process are called homeostasis he said. Ok I
understood that there are balancing process which are called
homeostasis but could you please tell me about one of the
process? I asked. So, I told you about cups ok so I’ll go inside
the large cup of water and look at what happens to me? He
asked. I said ok I answered. Ok now you see I become bigger
and bigger and I’m about to burst? He asked. Yes, I see I
answered. So, now I go to the empty one so look at what
happens to me he said. Yes now you are losing water and about
to shrink I said. Now I’ll come back to my normal place and
I’m as myself returning to the normal condition he said. But
how? I asked. From the first cup the
water moved to inside myself because
the water outside was more but in the
empty the water moved to outside
myself so I lost water but in my
normal place every things are ok
because the water move from the area
of high concentration to the area of low concentration until the
concentration of water in both outside and inside become equal
and this is balancing he answered. But what about the normal
condition I asked? In the normal conditions the amount of water
in outside is equal to the amount of water inside he answered. I
went home and I said bay the time is too late I’ll come back to
my home and I’ll come back to you tomorrow I said. Ok he
said. For tomorrow at night I came back to that place again I
found Mr. Cell but what did I see? Eight cells and that was so
amazing and I asked Mr. Cell what are they? They are other
cells he answered. How are they here? Because yesterday I did
not see them I said. I divided and I did cell division he replied.
What? What? Oh my God!!!!!!!!! What is the cell division? I
asked. Cell division is formation of new cell from existing cells.
I was existed and I divided until I became two cells then each
of us again divided now we became four cells and again we
divided we became eight cells he explained. Ok my heart is
telling me that still there are some things you wonder to tell me
I said. Well I’m not wonder to tell you anything but let me tell
you that when I divide me and my copy we become small like
cutting piece of cake but after that we enlarge till we reach the
original size and this process of cell division with cell
enlargement together are called growth. And beside that many
growth processes means many cell divisions and enlargements
are called development he said. But I saw something else
strange and I asked what this is? He is another type of cell and
the most ideal one among us he is Mr. Stem cell. So, what is
the difference between you and him I asked. Simply I’m
specified cell and I didn’t tell you that I’m liver cell but this
stem cell is not specified he is not neither liver, muscle, neuron,
or any other specified cell that have their own function he
answered. So, what he is? I asked. He has an ability to
differentiate (Convert) to the specified cell so look at this
differentiation (conversion) now he said. Wow this is amazing
so, what else do you know? I asked. Ok do you know that living
things are doing reproduction so, reproduction is an ability of
the living things to reproduce. But remember that reproduction
can’t be done without cell division he said. Late I got up and I
realized that all what did I see was a dream and I’m still in the
party hall.

Best regard

Mr. Harry

- Note: - dear students read this story carefully and summarize

it well. And remember I’ll randomly choose one or two students
to talk about the story to me.