Characteristics of Life Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What are the seven characteristics of life?

Cellular organization, response to stimuli, homeostasis, metabolism, growth and development, reproduction, and change through time.

What are the two types of cellular organization?

Multicellular and Unicellular

List the units of organization within a multicellular organism from the smallest to the biggest.

Atom, Biological Molecules, Organelles, Cells, Tissues, and Organs

What is the basic unit around which an organism is organized?

The cell Signup and view all the answers

What is cellular organization?

The idea that living organisms are all composed of either one or many cells Signup and view all the answers

What is an organism composed of one cell called?

Unicellular Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to be multicellular?

To be composed of many cells Signup and view all the answers

What is an atom?

The simplest particle of an element that retains all of its properties Signup and view all the answers

What is a biological molecule?

Chemical compounds that provide physical structure and that bring about movement, energy use, and other cellular functions Signup and view all the answers

What is an organelle?

Tiny structures within cells that carry out functions necessary for the cell to stay alive Signup and view all the answers

What are cells?

Structures that contain all genetic information necessary for replication Signup and view all the answers

What are tissues?

Groups of cells that have similar abilities and allow the organ to function Signup and view all the answers

What are organs?

Structures that carry out specialized jobs within an organ system Signup and view all the answers

What is a stimulus?

A physical or chemical change in the internal or external environment Signup and view all the answers

What is homeostasis?

The ability to maintain a stable level of internal conditions Signup and view all the answers

What are some internal conditions homeostasis seeks to maintain?

Temperature, pH, water content, and cellular uptake of nutrients Signup and view all the answers

What is metabolism?

The sum of all the chemical reactions that take in and transform energy and materials from the environment Signup and view all the answers

What is photosynthesis?

The process used by plants to transform energy from the sun into food (sugar molecules) Signup and view all the answers

What are organisms who use the process of photosynthesis called?

Autotrophs Signup and view all the answers

What are heterotrophs?

Organisms who obtain food energy from other organisms Signup and view all the answers

How do living things grow and increase in size?

Via the division and enlargement of cells Signup and view all the answers

What is cell division?

The formation of two new cells from an existing cell Signup and view all the answers

How does a unicellular organism grow and develop?

The cells divide and then enlarge Signup and view all the answers

How does a multicellular organism grow and develop?

The cells divide, enlarge, and develop Signup and view all the answers

What is development?

The process by which an organism becomes a mature adult Signup and view all the answers

Why is cell differentiation/specialization important?

Without it, an organism cannot undergo development. Signup and view all the answers

What happens as a result of development?

An adult organism is composed of many cells specialized for different functions Signup and view all the answers

Of how many cells is the human body composed?

Trillions, all from a single fertilized egg Signup and view all the answers

What is reproduction?

The process by which organisms produce new organisms like themselves Signup and view all the answers

For what is reproduction essential?

The survival of the species, though not the individual Signup and view all the answers

Why is hereditary information important to reproduction?

Parents pass on hereditary information (contained in DNA) to their offspring. Signup and view all the answers

What is DNA? For what does it stand?

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a large molecule containing hereditary/genetic information Signup and view all the answers

How is DNA partitioned?

It is divided into short segments Signup and view all the answers

What is a short segment of DNA that codes for a single trait called?

A gene Signup and view all the answers

What are the two types of reproduction?

Sexual and asexual Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Seven Characteristics of Life

Cellular organization includes multicellular and unicellular organisms.
Key characteristics are response to stimuli, homeostasis, metabolism, growth and development, reproduction, and change through time.

Cellular Organization

The cell is the basic unit of organization in living organisms.
Multicellular organisms are composed of many cells, while unicellular organisms consist of a single cell.

Levels of Biological Organization

Organizational levels are: Atom, Biological Molecules, Organelles, Cells, Tissues, and Organs.
Tissues are groups of similar cells working together, while organs are structures performing specialized functions.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis involves maintaining stable internal conditions like temperature, pH, and nutrient levels.
It responds to stimuli, which are changes in the organism's internal or external environment.

Metabolism

Metabolism denotes all chemical reactions that convert energy and materials from the environment for use by the organism.
Photosynthesis is a key metabolic process in plants to convert solar energy into food (sugar).

Nutrition Types

Autotrophs create their own food via photosynthesis, while heterotrophs obtain energy by consuming other organisms.
Growth occurs through cell division and enlargement, impacting both unicellular and multicellular organisms.

Reproduction

Reproduction is crucial for species survival, allowing organisms to produce new, similar organisms through sexual or asexual means.
Hereditary information is encoded in DNA, passed from parents to offspring, ensuring genetic continuity.

Development

Development involves maturation into adult forms, requiring cell differentiation or specialization for proper function.
Human beings originate from a single fertilized egg and develop into trillions of specialized cells through growth and division.

Genetic Information

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) holds the genetic blueprint for inheritance, organized into segments known as genes.
Each gene codes for specific traits, contributing to the diversity and characteristics of living organisms.

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Description

This quiz focuses on the seven characteristics of life, providing an overview of cellular organization, including multicellular and unicellular forms. It also emphasizes the various levels of organization within multicellular organisms. Perfect for biology students looking to reinforce their understanding.