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.