Biology Unit 2 .1

Living organisms have a set seven character

• Cellular Organization: All living organisms are composed of one or more cells. Cells are the basic units of structure and function in living organisms.

  
  
  
  

• Metabolism: Living organisms carry out various chemical reactions to obtain energy from their environment and use it to maintain their internal organization and to grow.

  
  
  
  

• Homeostasis: Living organisms have mechanisms to regulate their internal environment, maintaining a stable and relatively constant internal state despite changes in the external environment.

  
  
  
  

• Response to Stimuli: Living organisms can respond to changes in their environment. This response may be simple, such as moving away from a harmful stimulus, or complex, such as learning and memory in higher organisms.

• Reproduction: Living organisms can produce offspring either sexually or asexually, passing on their genetic material to the next generation.

• Adaptation: Living organisms have the ability to adapt to their environment over time through evolution. This allows them to survive and thrive in changing conditions.

• Growth and Development: Living organisms undergo growth and development, which involves an increase in size or complexity and changes in form and function over time.

• Heredity: Living organisms contain genetic material that is passed down from one generation to the next, allowing for the transmission of traits from parent to offspring.

These characteristics collectively distinguish living organisms from non-living matter and are fundamental to understanding the nature of life.