Characteristics of life

​5 Characteristics of Life

By Donald Rowe

• Large animals are made of trillions of cells

• Bacteria are made of just one cell

​Examples

A living thing can consist of trillions of cells, or just one.

​Unicellular or Multicellular

1. Made of cells

Multiple Choice

Which word means, "made of only one cell" ?

• Multicellular

• Unicellular

• Quasi-cellular

• Cellular phone

• One bacterium splits itself in two new cells

• Birds lay eggs to produce offspring

​Examples

Asexual reproduction requires only one parent organism. Sexual reproduction requires 2 parent organisms. Some organisms can reproduce sexually and asexually.

​Asexual or Sexual Reproduction

2. Reproduction

Multiple Choice

It is impossible for an organism to be able to reproduce sexually and asexually.

• TRUE

• FALSE

• A tree grows taller, and bears and sheds leaves.

• A caterpillar changes to a butterfly.

​Examples

As organisms age, they increase in size, and go through various stages of change to reach maturity.

​Organisms change over time.

3. Growth and Development

Dropdown

Human children go through​ a stage of development called

Select answer

as they grow into adulthood.

• Grass makes its own food with water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide.

• Cows eat grasses and other vegetation.

​Examples

Autotrophs are organisms that can make their own food. Heterotrophs are organisms that consume other organisms for food.

​Autotrophs and Heterotrophs

4. Obtain and Use Energy

Drag and Drop

Plants make food through a process called​

Placeholder

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

photosynthesis

respiration

digestion

fermentation

• A Venus fly trap closes when an insect touches its hairs.

• A cat jumps at a sudden loud noise.

​Examples

Stimuli are things that occur in an organisms internal or external environment that cause it to react. One stimuli is called a stimulus.

​What does 'stimuli' mean?

5. Response to Stimuli

Multiple Select

Select all of the choices that describe an organism responding to stimuli.

• A child recoils from touching a hot stove.

• A dog grows larger over time.

• A tree is made of cells.

• An animal will blink if something is close to its eyes.