This document discusses the key characteristics of life. It defines biology as the study of living things and lists the characteristics that distinguish living things from non-living things. All living things are made of cells, can reproduce, grow and develop, have genetic material, use and transform energy, respond to their environment, maintain homeostasis, and evolve over time. Examples are provided to illustrate each characteristic of life.

1. NATURE OF LIFE
NOTES

2. What is Biology?
• the study of living things.
– BIO-: life
– -OLOGY: study of

3. Characteristics of
Life
How do you know
something is living?

4. Which of the following
• Spider Web
is Living? • Bicycle
• Yogurt
• River • Bananas
• Tornado
• Rock • Baby
• Fire
• Rain • Hibernating Bear
• Seed
• Onion • Robot
• Mushrooms
• Potatoes • Peas
• Frog
• Horse • Corn
• Icicles
• Grass • Jellyfish
• Eggs
• Tree & Leaves • Sun
• Rocking Horse
• Cacti • Cloud
• Teddy Bear

5. All living thing…
• Made of cells
– Basic unit of life
– Unicellular: made up of one cell
– Multicellular: made up of many
cells

6. All living thing…
• Reproduce
– Asexual reproduction: has only 1 parent
– Sexual reproduction: needs 2 parents

7. All living thing…
• Grow and Develop
– Growth: increase in size or shape
– Development: mature over time

8. All living thing…
• Have a genetic code (DNA/RNA)
– DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid
– RNA: ribonucleic acid

9. All living thing…
• Use and Need Energy
– Energy comes from “food”
• Producers: get their energy from the sun
• Consumers: get their energy by eating other
organisms

10. All living thing…
• Respond to environment
– Reacts to stimuli
• Stimuli: signal to which an organism responds

11. All living thing…
• Maintain homeostasis
– Homeostasis: a process in which organisms maintain
a stable internal environment
– Examples: sweating, shivering, panting

12. All living thing…
• Evolve
– Changes of a long
period of time
involving the entire
group