Characteristics of LifeBiology is the study of life.

All living organisms share 7 properties that separate them from nonliving things

Organization and cellular structure

Response to stimuliHomeostasisMetabolismGrowth and developmentReproductionChange through time

Cellular organizationEvery living thing is composed of 1 or more cells

The cell is the smallest unit that can be alive

Unicellular-composed of 1 cellMulticellular-composed of more than 1 cell

Response to StimuliOrganisms can respond to a stimulus-physical or chemical-internal or external

HomeostasisAll living things maintain a stable level of internal conditions

MetabolismThe sum of all of the chemical reactions that take in and transform energy and material from the environment

Growth and DevelopmentGrowth through cell enlargement and division

Development-process through which an individual becomes an adult-cell differentiation and specialization

ReproductionProduction of new organism like the originalContinues the speciesDNA-contains hereditary info-single trait is a

gene2 methods to reproduceAsexual-1 organism reproduces itself-no

genetic recombination, offspring identical to parent

Sexual-combination of 2 organism’s traits-offspring NOT identical to either parent

Change through TimeSpecies change over time

Themes in Biology1. Diversity and Unity of Life

All life has some things in common-DNA, cells etc. but also quite diverse-common ancestor

2. Interdependence of Organisms-organisms interact with each otherecology-study of these interactions among organisms and the environmentecosystems-communities of organisms and their environments

3. Evolution of Life-populations change through timenatural selection-organisms with more favorable traits survive and reproduceadaptations-traits that improve an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce