Characteristics of Living Organisms

Question 1

Identify the characteristics of living organisms and their properties

Answer 1

Cellular
Metabolism
Growth
Excretion
Responsiveness or irritability
Movement
Reproduction

Question 2

Describe Cellular Composition

Answer 2

• Cellular Composition: cells are basic units of life
  
  • It is the smallest unit that can carry out the functions of life.
  • All organisms are composed of cells.
    
    • Examples include from single-celled bacteria to complex multicellular organisms.

Question 3

Describe Metabolism

Answer 3

• Metabolism:
  
  • Chemicals - are substances with unique molecular composition; used in or produced by chemical reactions
  • Living organisms carry out a number of chemical reactions collectively known as metabolism.
  • Metabolic processes include the build up or break down of substances depending on the needs of the organism, such as building muscle or digestion.

Question 4

Describe Growth

Answer 4

• Growth: where building (metabolic processes) outweighs breaking down processes includes two forms:
  
  • Increase in size of individual cells
  • Increase in number of cells

Question 5

Describe Excretion

Answer 5

Excretion: A process which an organism uses to eliminate potentially harmful waste products created by metabolic processes.

Question 6

Describe Responsiveness or Irritability

Answer 6

• Responsiveness or Irritability - ability of organisms to sense and react to changes or stimuli in their environment
  
  • Perceived through the senses including sight, smell, hearing, touch, and pain.

Question 7

Describe Movement

Answer 7

• Movement - ability of an entire organism to move or movement of individual cells or of materials within or between cells of an organism
  
  • Although plants do not physically move like humans, they exhibit movement inside and between their cells, as wells as motion of one or more cells within the organism and movement plants themselves.

Question 8

Describe Reproduction

Answer 8

• Reproduction - takes following two forms in multicellular organisms:
  
  • Individual cells reproduce within organism during growth and to replace damaged or old cells
  • Organism itself reproduces to yield similar offspring