Characteristics Of Life Flashcards
Diversity of life
Refers to the large variety of living organisms living on earth
Life
Describes an organic based object that possesses the characteristics of metabolism, continuity of life, organisation, response, excretion, nutrition and reproduction
Metabolism
The sum of all the chemical reactions that occur in an organism
Continuity of life
The way living organisms arise from other living organisms of the same type
Biological organisation
Refers to the different levels of complexity in an organism
Nutrition
The way living organisms use and obtain food
Characteristics of life
Refers to the common traits or features found in all living organisms
Autotrophic nutrition
When an organism produces its own food
Heterotrophic nutrition
When an organism must obtain its food from other organisms
Excretion
Getting rid of waste products of metabolism
Response
The way in which living organisms react to their environments
Reproduction
The way in which offspring are produced from their parents
Sexual reproduction
Involves the union of two sex cells from two parents
Asexual reproduction
When only one parent is required to produce an offspring
What are the five characteristics of life?
Biological organisation, nutrition, excretion, response and reproduction
