All living things share six key characteristics: 1) they are made of cells, 2) need energy, 3) grow and develop, 4) respond to their environment, 5) reproduce, and 6) have adaptations that allow them to survive in their environment. The document discusses each of these characteristics in more detail, explaining that cells are the basic unit of life, organisms get energy from nutrients and their environment, they grow over time and develop in response to stimuli, reproduce to continue their species, and evolve adaptations suited to their habitat.

1. Characteristics of
LivingThings

2. Characteristics of LivingThings
Biotic: Living
Abiotic: Non-Living
What is a living thing? On the surface this may seem like a simple
question, but it has been the topic of debate among scientists for
many, many years. As such, there is no single definition of what it
means for something to be alive.What is agreed upon is that all living
things carry out certain life processes.
To be classified as living, a specimen must carry out all of the following
processes. Some nonliving things may have some of these
characteristics, but only living things will exhibit all of them.

3. Characteristics of LivingThings
• ALL living things have 6 characteristics:
1. are made of cells
2. need energy
3. grow and develop
4. respond to the environment
5. reproduce
6. have adaptations for their environment

4. Characteristics of LivingThings
1. All organisms are made of cells.
• The cell: is a basic unit of life, it performs life
processes, and is microscopic

5. Characteristics of LivingThings
2. All organisms need energy
• the ability to make things move or change
everything needs energy
• organisms get energy from the environment:
• plants by the sun
• animals from environment
• nutrients are needed to grow, develop and
reproduce.
Nutrients: chemicals needed to aid in your
bodies daily processes.
Metabolism: the sum of all chemical processes

6. Characteristics of LivingThings
3. Grow & Develop
• All organisms grow & develop.
• growth includes getting taller, but also replacing itself like
skin cells. development is a drastic change in body shape
• ex: tadpole to frog.

7. Characteristics of LivingThings
4. All organisms respond to the environment.
Stimulus: anything that causes a response.
Response: the reaction.
Example: A car is moving towards you.
Stimulus-> seeing the car.
Response -> jumping out of the way.

8. Characteristics of LivingThings
5. All organisms reproduce.
• not necessary for each individual
organism but it is for the survival of each
type of organism.

9. Characteristics of LivingThings
6. All organisms adapt to their environment.
Adaptations: characteristics that allow an
organism to live in its environment.
Increases the organisms chance of survival
• ex: cactus spines, rabbits changing colours.