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Section 1: The Study of Life

PowerNotes
Biosphere: The biosphere is defined as the region on, above, and below the
Earth’s surface where life exists.

Biodiversity: The variety of organisms in a given area is called biological

diversity, or biodiversity.

Species: Species is a group of organisms that are closely related and can
produce fertile offspring.

Organism: A living thing, such as an animal, a plant, a bacterium, or a fungus.

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Holt McDougal Biology 1 Biology in the 21st Century

 Characteristics Shared by Organisms Details

1. All organisms are made up

Cells of one or more cells.

◦A cell is the basic unit of

life.

◦Single-celled organisms
are the most common
forms of life on Earth.

◦Larger organisms that you

see every day are made
of many cells and are
called multicellular
organisms.

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Holt McDougal Biology 2 Biology in the 21st Century

 2. Need for energy ◦Some organisms absorb
energy from sunlight and
store some of it in
chemicals that can be
used later as a source of
energy.

◦Animals obtain energy by

eating other organisms.

◦In all organisms, energy is

important for
metabolism, or all of the
chemical processes that
build up or break down
3. Response to environment materials.
All organisms must react
to their environment to
survive.

◦Light, temperature, and

touch are just a few of
the physical factors,
called stimuli, to which
organisms must respond.

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Holt McDougal Biology 2 Biology in the 21st Century

 4. Reproduction and development Single-celled organisms
can reproduce when one
cell divides into two
cells.

◦Both new cells have

genetic information that
is identical to the original
cell

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Holt McDougal Biology 2 Biology in the 21st Century