Characteristics of Life
All living things are made of one or more of these.
What are cells?
The smallest unit of life.
What is a cell?
The science of naming and grouping organisms.
What is taxonomy?
These are not considered living by many scientists because they are not made of cells.
What are viruses?
Most plants make food through this process using sunlight.
What is photosynthesis?
The process of keeping internal conditions stable, like your body keeping the same temperature.
What is homeostasis?
An organism made of only one cell.
What is unicellular?
The most specific classification group.
What is species?
Viruses need one of these in order to reproduce.
What is a host cell?
Animals are classified this way because they have many cells and eat other organisms.
What are multicellular heterotrophs?
A change in the environment that causes an organism to respond.
What is a stimulus?
An organism made of many cells.
What is multicellular?
The two words that make up an organism’s scientific name.
What are genus and species?
Unlike viruses, bacteria are considered alive because they have this.
What are cells?
A trait or behavior that helps an organism survive in its environment.
What is an adaptation?
A sunflower turning toward sunlight is an example of this characteristic of life.
What is responding to a stimulus/environment?
Plants are called this because they make their own food.
What are autotrophs?
Scientists classify organisms so they can do this.
What is organize, identify, and communicate about living things?
Bacteria and fungi are helpful because they break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients.
What are decomposers?
A cactus storing water in its stem is an example of this.
What is an adaptation?
Name four characteristics that scientists use to determine if something is living.
Humans, animals, and fungi are examples because they get energy by consuming other organisms.
What are heterotrophs?
Put these levels in order from largest to smallest:
species, kingdom, domain, genus
What is:
Domain → Kingdom → Genus → Species?
A mushroom belongs to this kingdom.
What is fungi?
A scientist discovers an organism that has many cells, moves to find food, and cannot make its own energy. It most likely belongs to this kingdom.
What is the Animal Kingdom?