Unit B: Cells and Systems

1.1: The Characteristics of Living Things

The six characteristics of living things:

1. are made of cells

2. need energy
3. grow and develop
4. respond to the environment
5. reproduce
6. have adaptations for their environment

All living things, or organisms have all of these characteristics.

Non-living things may have some of these characteristics

Cells:
 are the basic unit of life
 can perform all the processes that allow life to happen
 all organism are made up of at least one cell and every cell comes from another
cell

Energy:
 is the ability to make things move and change
 everything an organism does needs energy
 Animals get their food from the environment
 Plants use the energy from the sun to make their own food (called
photosynthesis)

Responding to the Environment

 A stimulus is anything that causes a response in an organism
o Examples: smell food/go eat, bell rings/leave classroom

Growth and Development

 Organisms have the ability to replace some cells that are worn out or damaged
 Organisms body size, shape, and structure can change over time

Reproduction
 is not necessary for an organism to survive
 but all individual organisms die so it is necessary for the survival of each type of
organism

Adaptation
 is a characteristic that allows an organism to live in its environment
it can be a body part = structural, or an action = behavioral
 1.2 Structure and Function

Organisms have developed many different ways of doing the things that keep them
alive. The structures (body parts) they have developed to perform these tasks
have different functions.

Give it a Try p.89: Which Structure for What Function

Function Dolphin Tree Beetle Tiger
Movement All the fins, bendable legs Strong legs
slippery body
Breathing Lungs, Pores in the gas exchange lungs
opening in leaves through pores
head called
spiracles

Different Structures For Similar Function

 Different plants and animals have developed different structures for doing
similar functions

Variations in Structure
Similarity in structure with some variability can be seen among animals living in the
Galapagos Islands. Charles Darwin studied many of the animals and discovered 13
closely related species of birds called finches. These birds have different bill structures
to match the type of food they eat.

1.3 Organs and Organ Systems

Organs:
 Are groups of different tissues specialized to carry out particular functions
o Examples: heart, stomach, kidneys, bladder, blood vessels, lungs…
Organ Systems:
 group of organs that work together to perform a certain task,
 many organ systems work together
o Examples: circulatory system, respiratory system, digestive system,
nervous system…