Unit 1 - Characteristics of Living Things

Flashcards covering the characteristics of life, levels of organization, basic needs, producers vs. consumers, photosynthesis, stimulus and response, and modes of reproduction.

What are the 6 characteristics of life?

1) Has cells, 2) Has DNA, 3) Able to reproduce, 4) Responds to a stimulus, 5) Gets and uses energy, 6) Able to grow and develop.

What are the 5 levels of organization in living things, from simplest to most complex?

Cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism.

How is a cell defined in the levels of organization?

The basic unit of life.

What is a tissue?

A group of specialized cells performing the same function.

What is an organ?

A structure made of tissues that perform the same function.

What is an organ system?

A collection of organs performing the same function.

What is an organism?

A living thing that carries out life functions.

What are the 4 basic needs that all living things must have for survival?

Food, water, gas (air), and living space (habitat).

What is a stimulus?

Something that causes an organism to react.

What is a response?

An organism's reaction to a stimulus.

What is a producer?

An organism that makes its own food using sunlight (e.g., a plant).

What is a consumer?

An organism that eats other organisms for food.

What is photosynthesis?

The process of a plant making food for itself.

What inputs are taken in and what products are created during photosynthesis?

Plants take in sunlight, carbon dioxide ($CO_2$), and water to create glucose (sugar) as food, and release oxygen ($O_2$) as a waste product.

How do plants and animals differ in how they obtain water?

Plants take in water by absorbing it, whereas animals take in water by drinking it.

How do plants and animals differ in gas exchange?

Plants take in $CO_2$ and release $O_2$, whereas animals take in $O_2$ and release $CO_2$.

How do living space requirements differ between plants and animals?

Plants need a little bit of space to grow, whereas animals need a lot of space to look for food.

How do unicellular and multicellular organisms differ in their ability to reproduce?

Unicellular organisms reproduce by asexual reproduction only, whereas multicellular organisms can reproduce by asexual or sexual reproduction.

What modes of reproduction are used by an apple tree, an amoeba, bacteria, and a lion?

Apple tree: sexual; Amoeba: asexual; Bacteria: asexual; Lion: sexual.