Processes of Life in Unicellular Organisms

Homeostasis

• Living organisms keep their internal environment within a certain range (stable internal condition) despite changes in external environment.

Metabolism

• The sum of all the chemical reactions in a cell

Homeostasis

• Living organisms keep their internal environment within a certain range (stable internal condition) despite changes in external environment.

Metabolism

• The sum of all the chemical reactions in a cell

Nutrition

• Autotrophs: use external energy sources to synthesize carbon compounds from simple inorganic substances
• Heterotrophs: use carbon compounds obtained from other organisms to synthesize carbon compounds they require

Movement

• Sessile: organisms stay in one place
• Motile: organisms that are mobile

Excretion

• process in which metabolic waste is eliminated from an organisms

Grow and/or Develop

• Growth: The increase in size and mass of an organism
• Development: The transformation of the organism through its lifespan (usually involved hormones)

Response to Stimuli

• all life can recognize and respond to changes in environmental conditions.

Reproduction

• Sexual reproduction: involves two parents and the fusion of haploid sex cells from each parent
• Asexual: involves only 1 parent