7 CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE

Organization

All living things are built from cells, which are the fundamental structural units of life. An organism can be single-celled (unicellular, like amoebas) or made of trillions of cells working together in specialized teams (multicellular, like humans or trees).

Reproduction

The ability to produce offspring to ensure the continuation of species

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions in an organism to obtain and use energy

Homeostasis

Maintaining a stable< internal environment despite external changes

Heredity

Passing on genetic traits to offspring via deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Response to Stimuli

Reacting to physical or chemical changes in the internal or external environment

Growth & Development

Growth is an increase in size or mass, while development is a change in shape, form, or function

Evolution/Adaption

Populations change over generations to better suit their environment

Homoios & stasis

The word HOMEOSTASIS came from the greek word?

Similar

homoios meaning

Standing still

stasis meaning

Stimulus

(like a hormone, a light photon, or a toxin) acts as a ligand and binds to a specific receptor protein on the cell surface.

Blastula

an early embryonic stage in animals, formed by the cleavage of a fertilized egg

Receptor, Control Center, Effector

3 components of negative feedback

Receptor

Monitors the environment and detects changes (stimuli). For example, temperature-sensitive cells in the skin and brain detect when you are too hot or too cold.

Control Center

Processes the information from the sensor (often the brain or endocrine system) and decides on the appropriate response

Effector

Executes the command from the control center to alter the internal environment and bring it back to balance

Negative Feedback

is a self-regulating control process that counteracts change, bringing a system back to its original state or stable set point

Positive Feedback

is a biological or systemic process that amplifies or increases an initial change, pushing a system further away from its starting equilibrium

• Atom

• Molecule

• Cell

• Tissue

• Organ

• Organ System

• Organism

• Family

• Population

• Community

• Ecosystem

• Biosphere

Order of Biological Organization