Characteristics of Living Things
The basic unit of life
What are cells?
These are features that help living things survive in their specific environment
What are adaptations?
In science, “function” refers to this.
What is the job/role of a part?
Mobility refers to an organism’s ability to do this.
What is move from one place to another?
This characteristic allows living things to grow and change over time
What is growth and development?
Thick fur on a polar bear and webbed feet on a duck are examples of this type of adaptation.
What are structural adaptations?
Spikes, shells, claws, or thick skin help with this function
This structure helps fish move efficiently in water
What is fin?
Term used for responding to the environment. Ex: jumping out of the way of a moving car.
What is stimulus?
Migration in birds and hibernation in bears are examples of this type of adaptation.
What are behavioural adaptations?
Webbed feet are a structure that help with this function
What is swimming efficiently?
One reason mobility is important for survival.
What is finding food, escaping predators, or finding shelter?
Living things are different from non-living things because they meet this requirement, while non-living things do not.
What is having all six characteristics of life?
Producing venom or maintaining a constant body temperature are examples of this type of adaptation.
What are physiological adaptations?
The sum of all processes happening inside of an organism
What is metabolism?
3 examples of mobility in animals.
What is walking, swimming, flying, crawling?
These six characteristics must all be present for something to be considered living.
What are being made of cells, needing energy, growing and developing, responding to the environment, reproducing, and having adaptations for the environment?
Explain why adaptations are specific to an organism’s environment.
What is adaptations help organisms survive the conditions where they live?
Different species may have the same structure (a beak) but they may look very different based on the environment (what food is available)
What is variations in structure?
3 ways plant show mobility even though they don’t walk
What is growing toward light, opening/closing flowers, turning leaves?