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Characteristics of Life and Systems. What is Biology?. Bio = life Ology = the study of So biology is the study of life. What is Life? There are 8 characteristics:. 1. Cellular Organization: The cell is the most basic and smallest unit capable of all life functions.
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What is Biology? • Bio = life • Ology = the study of • So biology is the study of life.
What is Life?There are 8 characteristics: 1. Cellular Organization: The cell is the most basic and smallest unit capable of all life functions. *this is why viruses are not considered alive! Two options: Unicellular: Entire organism composed of only one cell. Multicellular: Organism composed of more than one cell.
2. Uses Energy • Metabolism : All of the chemical reactions that an organism carries out. • There are 6 aspects of metabolism that all living things share: • Nutrition (obtaining energy)
Metabolism: • All of the chemical reactions that an organism carries out. • Nutrition (eating food) • Transport (moving the • nutrients in your body) • c. Respiration (Breaking • food down into energy)
Metabolism: • All of the chemical reactions that an organism carries out. • Nutrition (eating food) • Transport (moving the nutrients in your body) • Respiration (Breaking food down into energy) • Excretion (getting rid of waste) • Synthesis (incorporation of food nutrients)
Metabolism: • All of the chemical reactions that an organism carries out. • Nutrition (eating food) • Transport (moving the nutrients in your body) • Respiration (Breaking food down into energy) • Excretion (getting rid of waste) • Synthesis (incorporation of food nutrients) • Regulation • (Homeostasis: The processes that keep living organisms stable in constantly changing environments. Ex. Temperature, salinity, acidity, amounts of nutrients and wastes...)
Homeostasis (cont.) Both of these humans live in vastly different environments and have similar internal body temperatures and conditions.
3. Reproduction: Ability to make copies of themselves. Heredity: Ability to pass one’s characteristics (or genes) to their offspring.
4. Requires Water: • Water provides the medium for molecules to react so important reactions can take place. • Molecules need something to move around in!
5. Respond to their Environment: • Movement: Such as to find food. • Stimuli and Response: Respond to various stimuli in their environment such as light, temp, gravity, moisture levels, chemicals, etc.
7. Development: • Allows organisms to mature and gain the ability to reproduce. Below is the growth of a nerve cell.
8. Evolve • Species change and adapt to their environment.