Life
Life is defined as possessing all five of the following features
ORGANISATION
Living things are organised into cells
Cells -> Tissues -> Organs -> Systems -> Organisms -> Population
NUTRITION
The way in which organisms obtain and use food
Autotrophic: Automatically make their own food e.g. plants
Heterotrophic: Cannot make their own food. Obtain food by feeding on other organism e.g. herbivore (plants), carnivore
(animals), omnivores (plants and animals)
EXCRETION
Is the removal of the waste products of chemical reactions from the body
Helps organisms maintain a fairly constant balance between internal and external environments. Animals excrete using the urinary system, the skin and the lungs. Plants excrete less waste because they produce less waste. The excrete through the openings on the underside of the leaf called stomata
RESPONSE
Response means that a living thing changes their behavior as a result of changes called stimuli in their surroundings
Animals have well developed sense organs and nervous system that allows them to respond to stimuli. Plants respond more slowly than animals, by changing their growth. Allows them to grow towards or away from light (phototropism) gravity (geotropism) water (hydrotropism), touch (thigmotropism)
REPRODUCTION
Is the production of new individuals
Asexual: Means that one parent gives rise to two or more identical offspring. This is common in bacteria, simple organisms
called protists and in some plants
Sexual: Means that two parents produce offspring. Gametes are produced which fuse together at fertilisation to form zygote.
Variation is common in plants and animals
OTHER
Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions in an organism
Continuity of life means that one living thing arises from other living things of the same type. Also called biogenesis
- Organisation
- Nutrition
- Excretion
- Response
- Reproduction
ORGANISATION
Living things are organised into cells
Cells -> Tissues -> Organs -> Systems -> Organisms -> Population
NUTRITION
The way in which organisms obtain and use food
Autotrophic: Automatically make their own food e.g. plants
Heterotrophic: Cannot make their own food. Obtain food by feeding on other organism e.g. herbivore (plants), carnivore
(animals), omnivores (plants and animals)
EXCRETION
Is the removal of the waste products of chemical reactions from the body
Helps organisms maintain a fairly constant balance between internal and external environments. Animals excrete using the urinary system, the skin and the lungs. Plants excrete less waste because they produce less waste. The excrete through the openings on the underside of the leaf called stomata
RESPONSE
Response means that a living thing changes their behavior as a result of changes called stimuli in their surroundings
Animals have well developed sense organs and nervous system that allows them to respond to stimuli. Plants respond more slowly than animals, by changing their growth. Allows them to grow towards or away from light (phototropism) gravity (geotropism) water (hydrotropism), touch (thigmotropism)
REPRODUCTION
Is the production of new individuals
Asexual: Means that one parent gives rise to two or more identical offspring. This is common in bacteria, simple organisms
called protists and in some plants
Sexual: Means that two parents produce offspring. Gametes are produced which fuse together at fertilisation to form zygote.
Variation is common in plants and animals
OTHER
Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions in an organism
Continuity of life means that one living thing arises from other living things of the same type. Also called biogenesis