Characteristics of Life Flashcards
Explain Organization
Living things are highly organized, meaning they contain specialized, coordinated parts. All living organisms are made up of one or more cells, which are considered the fundamental units of life.
Explain Multicellular Organisms.
Multicellular organisms—such as humans—are made up of many cells. The cells in multicellular organisms may be specialized to do different jobs and are organized into tissues, such as connective tissue, epithelial tissue, muscle, and nervous tissue. Tissues make up organs, such as the heart or lungs, which carry out specific functions needed by the organism as a whole.
It is the sum of all biochemical reactions taking place in an organism
Metabolism. Living things must use energy and consume nutrients to carry out the chemical reactions that sustain life
This subdivision of Metabolism is a process by which nutrients and simple molecules are used for building up complex molecules. Identify its function. What type of reaction is this?
Anabolism. Anabolic processes are typically Endorgenic. It functions for the growth, repair, and reproduction of cells.
This subdivision of Metabolism is a process by which complex molecules are broken down to release energy from chemical bonds. What type of reaction is this? Explain the energy.
Catabolism. Catabolic processes usually make stored energy available for utilization. It is an Exorgenic reaction. Bonds of Molecules contain P.E, once catabolized, C.E is released
What is Homeostasis
Living organisms regulate their internal environment to maintain the relatively narrow range of conditions needed for cell function. For instance, your body temperature needs to be kept relatively close to 98.6∘
degreesF (37∘degreesC). This maintenance of a stable internal environment, even in the face of a changing external environment, is known as homeostasis.
Explain Growth
Living organisms undergo regulated growth. Individual cells become larger in size, and multicellular organisms accumulate many cells through cell division. You yourself started out as a single cell and now have tens of trillions of cells in your body. Growth depends on anabolic pathways that build large, complex molecules such as proteins and DNA, the genetic material.
Reproduction
Living organisms can reproduce themselves to create new organisms. Reproduction is the process by which an organism produces an offspring sexually or asexually; Perpetual
Evolution
Populations of living organisms can undergo evolution, meaning that the genetic makeup of a population may change over time. In some cases, evolution involves natural selection, in which a heritable trait, such as darker fur color or narrower beak shape, lets organisms survive and reproduce better in a particular environment. Over generations, a heritable trait that provides a fitness advantage may become more and more common in a population, making the population better suited to its environment. This process is called adaptation.
What are the 5 remaining BioFunctions?
Nutrition, Transport, Digestion, Absorption, and Behavior
Explain Nutrition
Nutrition is the process of ingesting and absorbing food to provide energy for life - promote growth, repair, and replacement to tissues.
Explain Transport and give an example
Transport involves movements of nutrients, water, ions et. al. Absorption of Micromolecules and Secretion of Biochemicals
Explain Digestion
Digestion is a special form of Catabolism; breaking down large insoluble food molecules into small water-soluble ones in order to be absorbed by the plasma.
What is Absorption
It allows small molecules to pass through cell membranes throughout the body tissues.
Behavior
Behavior is simply the response of an organism to a stumuli
