Lighthouse Lab – Characteristics of Living Things
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2 سال پیش
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Learn all about the defining characteristics of living things. Head to ngscience.com for a range of related activities and resources suitable for use in the classroom or at home.
Classification is an important part of science. It is the process of observing and placing things into groups based on characteristics they share. One way scientists classify things is as living things and non-living things. A living thing is an organism.
In order for something to be classified as an organism, scientists look closely at its characteristics and functions.
All organisms:
• are made of one or more cells.
• obtain and use energy.
• move (internally and/or externally).
• reproduce.
• respond to changes.
• grow.
Organisms come in a great variety of shapes and sizes, and can be found in all areas of the Earth. Some, like microscopic amoebas, are so small, we need to use a microscope to see them. Others, like the blue whale, can reach lengths of over 25 meters – that’s about as long as a basketball court!
From microscopic amoebas to giant blue whales, all organisms are made of cells. Cells are the smallest units within an organism that can carry out life processes. They are often referred to as the ‘building blocks of life’. Cells were first discovered in 1665 by the English scientist Robert Hooke. When observing cork under a microscope, he noticed a series of small boxes which he called ‘cells’.
Some organisms, like parameciums, diatoms and bacteria, are made up of only a single cell. They are unicellular organisms. Others, like most of the plants and animals you are familiar with, are made up of many cells. They are called multicellular organisms.
Humans are multicellular organisms. Scientists estimate that our bodies are made up of trillions of different cells that all play a role in helping our bodies function.
All organisms need energy to carry out life processes. Life processes include growth, reproduction and the repair and maintenance of structures. Some organisms, like many animals, use energy to move their body parts or to move from place to place.
Different organisms obtain energy in different ways. Plants are organisms that photosynthesize – they capture light energy from the Sun and convert it into food. The food is distributed throughout the plant.
Animals obtain energy by eating other organisms. Fungi obtain energy by breaking down and absorbing the remains of dead organisms.
All organisms are able to reproduce. This means they are able to make more of their own kind. There are two main types of reproduction – sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction.
Sexual reproduction involves two parents. Each parent produces a special reproductive cell which join together to form a single cell. This process is called fertilization. The offspring that develops from the fertilized cell will have characteristics from both parents.
Asexual reproduction involves only one parent. The offspring are genetically identical to the parent. Most unicellular organisms reproduce asexually. Bacteria and many other unicellular organisms reproduce by dividing into two identical daughter cells.
Organisms grow and develop as they get older. All of the stages in an organism’s life – from first entering the world, growing larger and developing new parts, to reproducing young of its own make up its life cycle.
When the sex cells from a flowering plant are fertilized, the fertilized cell develops into a seed. Under the right conditions, the seed will germinate and start to grow. It will grow leaves and start to make its own food. It will eventually develop flowers and fruits and go on to produce new plants of the same kind.
When multicellular organisms grow, they usually change in size and shape. The number of cells that makes up their bodies increases.
Unicellular organisms also grow and change shape as they get older. They usually get larger in size before reproducing by dividing.
Learn all about the defining characteristics of living things. Head to ngscience.com for a range of related activities and resources suitable for use in the classroom or at home.
Classification is an important part of science. It is the process of observing and placing things into groups based on characteristics they share. One way scientists classify things is as living things and non-living things. A living thing is an organism.
In order for something to be classified as an organism, scientists look closely at its characteristics and functions.
All organisms:
• are made of one or more cells.
• obtain and use energy.
• move (internally and/or externally).
• reproduce.
• respond to changes.
• grow.
Organisms come in a great variety of shapes and sizes, and can be found in all areas of the Earth. Some, like microscopic amoebas, are so small, we need to use a microscope to see them. Others, like the blue whale, can reach lengths of over 25 meters – that’s about as long as a basketball court!
From microscopic amoebas to giant blue whales, all organisms are made of cells. Cells are the smallest units within an organism that can carry out life processes. They are often referred to as the ‘building blocks of life’. Cells were first discovered in 1665 by the English scientist Robert Hooke. When observing cork under a microscope, he noticed a series of small boxes which he called ‘cells’.
Some organisms, like parameciums, diatoms and bacteria, are made up of only a single cell. They are unicellular organisms. Others, like most of the plants and animals you are familiar with, are made up of many cells. They are called multicellular organisms.
Humans are multicellular organisms. Scientists estimate that our bodies are made up of trillions of different cells that all play a role in helping our bodies function.
All organisms need energy to carry out life processes. Life processes include growth, reproduction and the repair and maintenance of structures. Some organisms, like many animals, use energy to move their body parts or to move from place to place.
Different organisms obtain energy in different ways. Plants are organisms that photosynthesize – they capture light energy from the Sun and convert it into food. The food is distributed throughout the plant.
Animals obtain energy by eating other organisms. Fungi obtain energy by breaking down and absorbing the remains of dead organisms.
All organisms are able to reproduce. This means they are able to make more of their own kind. There are two main types of reproduction – sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction.
Sexual reproduction involves two parents. Each parent produces a special reproductive cell which join together to form a single cell. This process is called fertilization. The offspring that develops from the fertilized cell will have characteristics from both parents.
Asexual reproduction involves only one parent. The offspring are genetically identical to the parent. Most unicellular organisms reproduce asexually. Bacteria and many other unicellular organisms reproduce by dividing into two identical daughter cells.
Organisms grow and develop as they get older. All of the stages in an organism’s life – from first entering the world, growing larger and developing new parts, to reproducing young of its own make up its life cycle.
When the sex cells from a flowering plant are fertilized, the fertilized cell develops into a seed. Under the right conditions, the seed will germinate and start to grow. It will grow leaves and start to make its own food. It will eventually develop flowers and fruits and go on to produce new plants of the same kind.
When multicellular organisms grow, they usually change in size and shape. The number of cells that makes up their bodies increases.
Unicellular organisms also grow and change shape as they get older. They usually get larger in size before reproducing by dividing.
2 سال پیش
در تاریخ 1401/06/20 منتشر شده
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