Section 1: The nature and variety of living organisms Dr Gentile 07/24/2021

a) Characteristics of living organisms

Characteristics of living organisms

Learning objectives – by the end of this lesson you should be able to:
 List and explain the 8 biological processes of all living organisms

From your specification:

 1.1 understand that living organisms share the following characteristics:
● they require nutrition
● they respire
● they excrete their waste
● they respond to their surroundings
● they move
● they control their internal conditions
● they reproduce
● they grow and develop.
Characteristics of living organisms
Are these all living organisms? Why?
 Characteristics of living organisms

To be considered alive,
a creature must meet 8 criteria:

It must carry out the 8 biological processes

that characterise living things.
8 biological processes of all living organisms
Nutrition: The use of food for energy and growth.
Respiration: The release of energy from food
Excretion: The removal of chemical waste made in cells.
Growth: Increase in mass and size.
Reproduction: The production of new individuals (offspring).
Movement: An organism changes its position or place.
Sensitivity: Being able to detect and respond to stimuli.
(are sensitive to their surroundings)
Homeostasis: Control of the internal conditions.
CO2

Energy
Excretion: The removal of chemical waste made in cells.
Sensitivity: Being able to detect and respond to stimuli.
(are sensitive to their surroundings)
Homeostasis: Control of the internal conditions.
Homeostasis: Control of the internal conditions.

Body temperature needs to be at 37oC

Enzymes work best at this temperature.
If too high or too low, enzymes can’t work or can even be destroyed.

Exercise Sweating
Weather Shivering
Cold environment Blood circulation adjustments
Characteristics of living things: 8 biological processes

M Movement An organism changes its position or place.

R Respiration The release of energy from food

S Sensitivity Being able to detect and respond to stimuli.

H Homeostasis Control of the internal conditions.

G Growth Increase in mass and size.

R Reproduction The production of new individuals (offspring)

E Excretion The removal of chemical waste made in cells.

N Nutrition The use of food for energy and growth.

Activity 1:
1. 2. 3.
The leaves of some plants track the Sun's The air that you breathe out of your lungs contains At night a plant gives out carbon dioxide.
movement across the sky during the day. more carbon dioxide than the air that you breathed in.
Sensitivity & movement Excretion Excretion
4. 5. 6.
Flowering plants produce seeds that can be Humans give birth to live babies, but birds and reptiles A Mimosa plant responds to touch by
grown to produce new plants. lay eggs from which the young hatch. wilting.
Reproduction Reproduction Sensitivity & movement
7. 8. 9.
A bacterium in ideal conditions can divide into Humans produce urine every day, which contains 30 minutes into a 5 Km marathon, the
two every 20 minutes. waste products from the body, as well as any water that student starts feeling thirsty.
the body doesn't need. Excretion
Reproduction Homeostasis
10. 11. 12.
A healthy diet includes a good balance of The boy went to the cinema and drank a whole bottle of A student runs a 5 Km marathon.
protein, carbohydrates and fats. water during the film. When the film has ended, he ran
Nutrition to the toilet. Homeostasis & Excretion Movement
13. 14. 15.
In average, trees add another ring of wood The man was so busy during the day he didn’t drink A few minutes into a 5 Km marathon, the
around their trunks each year. much liquid. The next morning, he notices his urine has student starts to show accelerated
  Growth
a very dark yellow colour breathing.
Homeostasis Respiration & Homeostasis & Excretion
16. 17. 18.
During the first year of life a human baby may The green colouring of plant leaves is chlorophyll, 10 minutes into a 5 Km marathon, the
triple its birth weight. which plants use to make glucose and then starch. student starts sweating.
Growth Nutrition Homeostasis
19. 20.   21.
A house plant in the kitchen grows towards the The window of the room was left open in a summer late At the end of a 5 Km marathon, the student
window. afternoon. Lights were on. In the evening, moths were is very thirsty.
Sensitivity & movement & growth in the room.
Sensitivity & movement Homeostasis
Activity 2:

Clouds Fire

Iceberg Ants (here workers)

Virus
Steam train
Are viruses alive?

By phage:Adenosine, bacteria + composition: Thomas Splettstoesser (www.scistyle.com) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20351670
 Plenary

Tell me 2 things you

Tell me 2 things
have been reminded
that were new to
of in this lesson
you in this lesson