15 Questions
What is the defining characteristic of a living organism?
Cellular organization
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of living organisms?
Photosynthesis
What is an example of a living organism according to the text?
Algae
Which of the following is a characteristic of all living organisms?
Nutrition
What is the basic unit of organization in living organisms?
Cell
What is the basic unit of organization in living things?
Cells
Which type of cells have their organelles surrounded by a membrane?
Eukaryotic cells
What is the process that ensures the continuation of generations in living organisms?
Reproduction
Which organisms can make their own food?
Plants
What is the ability of living organisms to detect and respond to changes in their environment called?
Irritability
Which type of reproduction involves male and female gametes?
Sexual reproduction
What is the irreversible increase in size in living organisms called?
Growth
What is the basic unit of organization in living organisms that lacks membrane-bound organelles?
Prokaryotic cell
What is the process by which living organisms regulate their internal environment?
Homeostasis
Which type of living organism is capable of making its own food?
Autotrophic
Study Notes
Key Characteristics of Living Organisms
- Living organisms are organized from atoms and molecules to organs and organ systems.
- Cells are the basic unit of organization in living things.
- Cells contain organelles such as the nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, and Golgi bodies.
- Living organisms can be unicellular (e.g., bacteria) or multicellular (e.g., animals).
- Cells are classified as eukaryotic (membrane-bound organelles) or prokaryotic (lacking membrane-bound organelles).
- Reproduction in living organisms can be sexual (involving male and female gametes) or asexual (e.g., spore production, binary fission).
- Growth is the irreversible increase in size, while development brings about complexity and differentiation.
- Living organisms require energy, obtained from food, and can be autotrophic (able to make their own food) or heterotrophic (feeding on complex organic molecules).
- Living organisms respond to changes in their internal or external environment, known as irritability, and can regulate their internal environment through homeostasis.
- Living organisms evolve and adapt to environmental changes through characteristics known as adaptations.
- Non-living things lack the characteristics of organization, reproduction, growth, energy utilization, response to the environment, regulation, and evolutionary adaptation.
Test your knowledge of living organisms with this quiz! Explore the characteristics that define living things and distinguish them from non-living entities. From cellular structure to reproduction, challenge your understanding of what makes an organism alive.
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