This worksheet will help you understand the key characteristics that define living organisms. For each characteristic, provide examples from your own knowledge or observations.
What Makes Something Alive? A Worksheet Exploring the Characteristics of Life
All living things share several key characteristics. Let's explore them!
1. Organization: Cells are the Basic Units of Life
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Definition: Living things are highly organized, from the level of atoms and molecules to cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms. The smallest unit of life is the cell.
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Question: What are some examples of different levels of organization in a plant or animal? Describe the organization from the smallest to the largest level.
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Your Answer:
2. Metabolism: Energy Processing
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Definition: Living things acquire and use energy to maintain themselves, grow, and reproduce. This involves processes like respiration (breaking down food for energy) and photosynthesis (using sunlight to make food).
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Question: How does a plant obtain and use energy? How does a human obtain and use energy? Explain the differences.
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Your Answer:
3. Growth and Development: Increasing in Size and Complexity
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Definition: Living things increase in size (growth) and change over time (development). This involves cell division and differentiation.
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Question: Describe the growth and development of a butterfly. What are the key stages?
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Your Answer:
4. Adaptation: Responding to the Environment
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Definition: Living things adapt to their environments over time through evolution. Adaptations are traits that increase an organism's chances of survival and reproduction.
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Question: Provide an example of an adaptation that helps a plant survive in a desert environment. Provide an example of an adaptation that helps an animal survive in a cold climate.
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Your Answer:
5. Response to Stimuli: Interacting with the Surroundings
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Definition: Living things respond to changes in their internal or external environment. These responses can be simple or complex.
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Question: How does a plant respond to sunlight? How does a human respond to a loud noise?
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Your Answer:
6. Reproduction: Creating New Organisms
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Definition: Living things produce offspring, either sexually (combining genetic material from two parents) or asexually (creating offspring from a single parent).
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Question: Describe the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction, providing an example of each.
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Your Answer:
7. Homeostasis: Maintaining Internal Balance
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Definition: Living things maintain a stable internal environment, even when the external environment changes. This involves regulating factors like temperature, water balance, and pH.
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Question: How does the human body maintain a constant internal temperature?
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Your Answer:
Conclusion: The Circle of Life
After completing this worksheet, you should have a better understanding of the seven key characteristics of life. Remember that all living things possess these characteristics, although the specific ways they manifest can vary widely. Consider how these characteristics interconnect and contribute to the complexity and diversity of life on Earth.
