Characteristics of Living Things

[Pages:1]Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Period _______________________________________

Characteristics of Living Things

--------------------------------------------- KEY CONCEPTS ---------------------------------------------There are certain characteristics that all forms of life share. Living things are made of cells and are able to move, perform complex chemical activities, grow and develop, respond to a stimulus and reproduce.

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Each of the following statements defines an important scientific term. Fill in the blanks with the correct scientific terms.

1. The process by which food is broken down into simpler substances is called ______________________________________________________________________. 2. The basic units that make up living things are called __________________________. 3. An organism that contains many cells is said to be ___________________________. 4. _____________________ __________________________ requires only one person. 5. A reaction to something in the environment is known as a (an) __________________. 6. The process of getting rid of waste materials is known as ______________________. 7. Together, all the chemical activities of a living thing are called ___________________. 8. The taking in of food is called _____________________________________ or eating. 9. The idea that life can spring from nonliving matter is called ______________________ generation. 10. The maximum length of time a particular organism can be expected to live is that organism's _____________________________________________________________. 11. The process by which living things take in oxygen and use it to produce energy is called _________________________________________________________________. 12. _____________________ ______________________, the way that most plants and animals reproduce requires two parents. 13. Something to which an organism reacts is called a (n) ________________________. 14. The process by which living things take in carbon dioxide and, in the presence of sunlight, create food is called ______________________________________________.

15. ___________________ _________________________________ is the idea that

living things can arise from nonliving sources.

16. An organism that makes its own food is called a (an) . _______________________.

17. If you are an organism that cannot make food, thus must eat, you are called a

_____________________________________________________________________.

18. The energy for all organisms ultimately comes from the ______________________.

19. Your body needs to keep a stable internal environment (ex. body temperature). That

process is called ________________________________________________________.

20. List the six characteristics of living things, and the four needs of living things.

a. __________________________

a._________________________

b. __________________________

b. _________________________

c. __________________________

c. _________________________

d. __________________________

d. _________________________

e. __________________________

f. __________________________

21. In order to survive in cold weather a warm blooded animal must maintain its body

temperature. This is called _______________________________________________.

25. A bird sitting in a tree flies away as you walk by. Which life characteristics explain the

bird behavior? __________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

26. Explain why the tree, which does not move away, is also considered a living thing. __

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

27. The arctic fox has thick, dense fur in the winter and much shorter fur in the summer.

How does this help the fox maintain homeostasis? ______________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

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