Biology Unit 1

8 characteristics of life

cells, reproduction, genetic material, growth & development, response to stimuli, maintaining internal environment, need energy, adapt & evolve.

organisms can be _____ (cell number)

unicellular or multicellular

Cell

the smallest unit capable of all life processes

reproduction

the process by which organisms make more of their own kind from one generation to the next

types of reproduction

sexual - cells from two parents unite to form a new organism

asexual - new organism has a single parent

genetic code is….

common among all organisms on earth with minor variations. it is copy pasted from parent to child.

growth vs. development

increase in size vs. change in organism

stimulus

anything in an organism’s external or internal environment that causes the organism to react

hemostasis

the regulation of an organism’s internal environment conditions suitable for its survival

metabolism

the sum of all the chemical reactions carried out in an organism

adaptation

any inherited structure, behavior, or internal process that enables an organism to respond to environmental factors and live to produce offspring.

evolution

the gradual change of a species over time through multiple adaptations