The document discusses the key characteristics of life. It begins by distinguishing between scientific terms like biotic, abiotic, living, and dead. It then identifies the seven main characteristics of life, which are that all living things are made up of cells, have different levels of organization, obtain and use energy through metabolism and homeostasis, respond to their environment, grow and develop, reproduce, and adapt to their environment through evolution. The document uses examples like bacteria and viruses to illustrate how cell theory is used to determine whether something is considered living or nonliving.

1. Characteristics of Life
Megan Stanley
BIO 122
3/29/2015

2. Objectives
• Distinguish between scientific terms.
• Understand the difference between a living
and nonliving thing.
• Identify the seven characteristics of life.

3. Directions
• Play this PowerPoint.
• Try to answer the questions on your
own before viewing the answer as it
comes up.

4. Consider
• Your answers may often be
“they are the same” or
“there is no difference”, but
each term has a different
meaning. Try to figure out
that meaning.

5. #1) What is the difference between
biotic and abiotic?
Biotic= living, once
lived, or came from a
living thing
Examples:
hair,
skin,
organism,
dead
organism
Abiotic= nonliving
Examples: sun, light,
temperature

6. #2) What is the difference between
biotic and living?
Living=
Just one aspect of a
biotic organism, the
opposite of dead
Biotic= living, once
lived, or came from a
living thing
Examples:
hair,
skin,
organism,
dead
organism

7. #3) What is the difference between abiotic
and dead?
“Dead” is a biotic term
because it means that
the organism was
once alive. Abiotic
things were never
alive, such as sunlight
or water.

8. Bacteria Viruses
Cause disease Cause disease
Have DNA Have DNA
Replicate Replicate
Evolve Evolve
Living Nonliving
This chart
represents how
similar bacteria
and viruses are.
How is it that
one is living,
and the other is
considered
nonliving?

9. Bacteria Viruses
Cause disease Cause disease
Have DNA Have DNA
Replicate Replicate
Evolve Evolve
Living Nonliving
Made up of a
cell
Not made up of
a cell
Viruses are not
made up of
cells.
Bacterial cells
are made up of
cells.

10. Bacterial Cell Virus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacterial_cell_structure
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/alllife/virus.html

11. Cell Theory
• All living things are made up of cells.
• Cells are the basic unit of structure
and function.
• All cells come from preexisting cells.
According to Cell Theory, anything that is not
made up of a cell is considered “nonliving”
despite its other characteristics of life.

12. What are the characteristics of
life?
Think of things that all living
things must do.

13. Characteristics of Life
• Made up of cells
• Have different levels of organization
• Obtain and use energy
(metabolism/homeostasis)
• Respond to the environment (stimuli)
• Grow and develop
• Reproduce
• Adapt to the environment (evolve)