Unit B Notes

Page 1

Common Characteristics of Living Things

-Made up of cells

-Need energy

-Grow and develop

-Respond to environment (stimuli)

-Reproduce

-Have adaptations to the enviroment

Cells

-Cells are the building blocks of life and can preform all functions of life

-All organisms are made up of one or more cells

-All cells come from other cells

Energy

-Everything an organism does requires energy

-Plants get energy from the sun and nutrients from the soil

-Animals get energy and nutrients from other plants and animals

Grow and Develop

-Growth may involve changing form, getting bigger or repairing damage

Ex. Every minute of the day we lose and replace 30 000 to 40 000 skin cells off the surface of our skin

Respond to Stimuli

-A stimulus is a detectable change in the internal or external environment

-All living things respond to changes in their environment

Reproduce

-All living things come from other living things

-Reproduction is not necessary for an organism to survive but is necessary for the survival of that type of organism

Adaptations

-All organisms have adaptations-characteristics that allow it to survive in it's enviroment

Diffusion

-Diffusion is the movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an

area of low concentration

Example A: At a party a group of 6 friends leave the busy dance floor to go sit

down. Other people spread out, moving into that area.

Example B: Within a few minutes after opening a bag of microwave popcorn you

can smell it from the next room over because the popcorn smell particles are

spreading around to other rooms where there aren't as many popcorn smell

particles.

Characteristics of Living Things

Diffusion