What is Life?
Growth
The process of becoming larger.
Development
The process of change that occurs during an organism's life to produce a more complex organism.
Stimulus
A change in an organism's surroundings that causes the organism to react.
Needs of Living Things
All living things must satisfy the basic needs for energy (food), water, living space and stable internal conditions (homeostasis)
Response
An action or change in behavior that occurs as a result of a stimulus.
Heterotroph
An organism that cannot make its own food.
Autotroph
An organism that makes its own food with the sun's energy.
cell
Basic unit of structure and function in living things.
Unicellular
Made of a single cell.
Characteristics of Living Things
Made of cells, can reproduce, grow and develop, obtain and use energy, respond to the environment and contain complex chemicals.
Multicellular
Organisms composed of many cells.
Homeostasis
Process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment.
Asexual Reproduction
Reproduction that involves only one parent and produces offspring that are identical to the parent.
Sexual Reproduction
Reproduction that requires two organisms or parents and produces offspring that are different from the parents.
Chemicals of Life
The chemicals contained in living things (Water, Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids and Nucleic Acids.)
Spontaneous Generation
The mistaken idea that living things come from nonliving things.
Francesco Redi
This scientist disproved spontaneous generation by showing that maggots do not spontaneously arise from decaying meat.
Reproduce
To produce offspring that are similar to the parents. There are two types.