Biology Unit 1 Study Guide: CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE

information collected using your senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight)

Observation

a fact (true statement) based on your observations

Inference

Metabolism

the sum of all chemical processes inside a living thing

Development

the process by which an organism grows

Organism

any living thing

Cell division

the process where one cell splits into two cells

Heterotroph

an organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by-products

Cell structure

the organization of a cell

DNA

hereditary information in the form of a large molecule called deoxyribonucleic acid

Inheritance

genetics or traits passed down from parents

Autotroph

an organism that uses energy to synthesize organic molecules from inorganic substances

Evolution

all the changes that have formed life on earth from its earliest beginnings to the diversity that characterizes it today. Change over time

Multicellular

a living thing consists of one or more cells who have a highly organized and complex arrangement

Interdependence

the idea that an organism depends on another for survival

Biology

the study of living things

Senses

any of the animal functions of hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste

all living things are composed of cells. In multicellular organisms some cells are specialized to play a specific role

Cells

cells take in substances and organize them into complex substances

Organization

all living things use energy in a process called metabolism which is the sum of all the cell process

Energy use

all living things maintain a stable internal condition. Multicellular organisms use more than one system for this function

Homeostasis

living things grow by the process of cell division (one cell makes two). Cells are produced by cell division and differentiation. This is called development.

Growth

all species produce organisms by combining their genetic information

Reproduction