Characteristics of life

The Study of Life

Introduction to Biology

Biology—the science of life

 Study the origins and history of life and
once-living things
 Study the structures of living things
 Study how living things interact with one
another
 Study how living things function
 The Study of Life

Introduction to Biology

What do biologists do?

 Study the diversity of life
 Research diseases
 Develop technologies
 Improve agriculture
 Preserve the environment
 The Study of Life

Introduction to Biology

The Eight Characteristics of Life

1. Made of one or more cells
2. Displays growth
3. Grows and develops
4. Reproduces
 The Study of Life

Introduction to Biology

The Eight Characteristics of Life

5. Responds to stimuli
6. Requires energy
7. Maintains homeostasis
8. Adaptations evolve over time
Requirements For Life
1. Living Things Are Made Up of Cells
• Unicellular organisms are made of 1 cell
• Multicellular organisms are made of more than 1 cell
• Cells are the smallest unit of an organism that can be
considered “alive”

Paramecium Dog
Requirements for Life

2. Living Things Reproduce

• Sexual Reproduction: The mixing of genetic material
from 2 members of the same species
• Asexual Reproduction: Offspring are genetically
identical to the parent. No mixing of genetic material.

Sexual Reproduction Asexual Reproduction

Requirements For Life

3. Living Things Are Based on a Universal Genetic Code

• All organisms store the complex information they
need to live, grow and reproduce.
• All information is written in a molecule called DNA.
Requirements For Life

4. Living Things Grow and Develop

• During development a single egg divides again and
again
• New cells can be created and differentiate to perform
certain functions for the organism as time passes

Blue Oak Acorn Blue Oak Tree Sprouting

Requirements For Life

5. Living Things Obtain and Use

Energy
• Energy is obtained and
used to grow, develop and
reproduce
• Metabolism: The total sum
of all chemical reactions in
the body
Requirements For Life

6. Living Things Respond to Their Environment

• Living things respond to stimuli to improve their
chances for survival
• A stimulus is a signal to which an organism responds
Requirements For Life

7. Living Things Maintain a Stable Internal Environment

• Organisms need to keep conditions inside their bodies
as constant as possible.
• This process is called homeostasis.
 Sweat to release heat
 Sensations of thirst and hunger
Requirements For Life

8. Taken as a Group, Living Things Evolve

• Basic traits individual organisms inherit from their
parents usually do not change.
• Over many generations, groups of organisms
typically evolve or change over time.
Specimen #1: Feather

Is It Alive?
Specimen #2: Fire

Is It Alive?
Specimen #3: Bean

Is It Alive?
Specimen #4: Yeast

Is It Alive?
BONUS: Virus

Is It Alive?