The characteristics of life Flashcards
What are the characteristics of living organisms
- are made up of cells
- process energy
- are highly ordered
- reproduce
- grow and develop
- are homeostatic
- form populations that can evolve and adapt
Regarding cells, what are the two different categories organisms can consist of
Unicellular or multicellular
Energy utilization:
Organisms take in energy and _____________________________
Organisms take in energy and transform it to perform all
life’s activities
What are some examples of functions that organisms preform from taking in energy
(2)
supplying cells with nutrients and transporting substances through the organism
How do plants take in energy, and what is this process called
They harness light energy from the sun and produce their own nutrients - photosynthesis
Who are known as the primary producers of food on earth
Plants, algae, and certain bacteria
What does it mean to say that organisms are highly ordered
Organisms are highly organized, coordinated structures that consist of one or more cells
True or false:
Simple, single celled organisms are remarkably complex
(if true, explain)
True: inside each cell, atoms make up molecules; these in turn make up cell organelles and other cellular inclusions.
How do organisms and plants respond to the environment?
- Organisms respond to physical or chemical changes to their external or internal environment
-
Plants respond to changes in the
angle of light - phototrophism
Response to changes are examples of ________
Responses to changes are examples of adaptations
What does reproduction reffer to
(2)
Reproduction refers to the production of offspring or the increase in number of individuals of a species
What are the two types of reproduction, and explain
Sexual reproduction - requires
two parents to produce offspring
Asexual reproduction- requires only a
single individual to produce like
individuals
Many unicellular organisms increase their numbers by _____________
Many unicellular organisms increase their numbers by simple cell division
What is a key feauture of reproduction?
offspring tend to have characteristics that resemble those of their Parent(s).
Why do organisms have characteristics that resemble those of their parents?
all living organisms contain inheritable material composed of DNA
What does DNA stand for?
deoxyribonucleic acid
Define growth
GROWTH: Increase in size of cell (ex muscles after working out) or number of cells (ex baby → adult) or both
Define development
DEVELOPMENT: All changes that take place during an organism’s life
Why do multicellular organisms pass through a more complicated process for growth and developpment, and what is it called?
They pass through a more complicated process of differentiation and organogenesis (because they have so many more cells to develop).
This statement is for which characteristic of life?
All organisms maintain relatively constant
internal conditions, different from their
environment
Homeostasis
Homeostasis is a ________ involving ________ where the response to a stimulus alters ____________ and may itself become a new stimulus
Homeostasis is a self-adjusting mechanism involving feedback where the response to a stimulus alters the internal conditions and may itself become a new stimulus
Homeostasis works to maintain what?
Homeostasis works to maintain the organism’s internal environment within tolerance limits
What has been a central, underlying feauture of life (and when did it arise
Evolutionary change has been a central, unifying feature of life since it arose 4 billion years ago
Life evolves as a result of what?
Life evolves as a result of interaction between organisms and their environments
