What are life processes/functions?
Section: Watch the video and read the information on part A and B.  Jot down notes on a separate sheet for your study guide.  
Sign in to Google to save your progress. Learn more
What is your full name? *

Let’s see what living things are made of…

Bacteria are very, very tiny (small) living things or organisms.  Bacteria live everywhere!  They live in water and on your phone.    They live on your skin and in your body.  Bacteria only have one cell.  One-celled (single-celled) living things are called unicellular organisms.  To see bacteria or other unicellular organisms, you need a microscope. 

Elephants, mice , trees, and people are living things that are made up of many cells.  Organisms that are made up of many cells are called multicellular.   The number of cells in an organism makes up its size.   An elephant is made up of many more cells than a tiny mouse. 

Part A:  An organism or living thing is anything that has l these 7 common properties of life:
1. Cells: Organisms are made of one (unicellular) or more cells (multi-cellular). A cell is a tiny (microscopic), organized structure that is surrounded by a thin covering called a membrane. A cell is the smallest unit that can perform all life functions.

2. Homeostasis:  Homeostasis is the process that keeps conditions inside the bodies of all organisms stable or constant, even when conditions outside their bodies change. Example: Humans perspire when hot to lower body temperature.

3. Metabolism: Organisms carry out many chemical reactions to obtain energy. Organisms use energy to grow, to move, and to process information. Metabolism is the sum (total) of all the chemical reactions carried out in an organism.

4. Responsiveness: Reactions to stimuli from inside and outside the body are called responses.  A stimulus (plural, stimuli) is anything that causes some reaction by the organism.  For example, a houseplant responds to the sunlight coming through a window by growing toward it. The ability to respond to stimuli is important for survival.

5. Reproduction: Organisms can reproduce, so that the species continues to exist. Reproduction is the process by which organisms make more of their own kind. A species is a group of organisms that can breed with one another and produce fertile offspring. Without reproduction, a species will become extinct.

6. Heredity: When an organism reproduces, it passes genetic information for its characteristics, or traits, to its offspring. This is called heredity. Inherited characteristics change over generations. This process is called evolution that is the process of change by which new species develop from preexisting species over time.

7. Growth & develops: All living organisms grow. As organisms grow it results in an increase in mass. Many organisms form new cells and new structures as they grow. Development results in different changes of abilities.  Development differs from evolution because development refers to change in a single individual during that individual’s life. Example, after baby birds hatch they cannot fly for weeks. As they grow, they develop structures that give them the ability to fly.

Part B: In order for cell growth & develop
A-Transport includes absorption of materials into the organism and distribution of the materials within the organism.

B-Respiration includes the chemical processes by which an organism obtains energy from food materials in order to maintain its life functions.

C-Excretion is the removal of waste products produced within the organism as a result of metabolic activities.

D-Synthesis includes the chemical activities by which an organism builds large molecules from smaller ones.

E-Nutrition includes the activities by which an organism obtains materials from its environment and prepares them for its use. In the case of animals, nutrition includes ingestion(the taking in of food), digestion(the breakdown of food molecules so that they can be absorbed into the organism, and egestion( the removal of indigestible or undigested food materials).

All organisms show the seven properties of living things at one or more stages of their lives. The seven properties of living things are cellular organization, homeostasis, metabolism, responsiveness, reproduction, heredity, and growth. Nonliving things sometimes seem to show some of these properties. For example, some chemical substances change color when exposed to heat or light. They seem to be responsive. But these substances do not show all seven properties of living things. The seven properties give a clear method for determining what is living and what is nonliving.
Living things can reproduce. Reproduction is the process living organisms use to produce offspring. All living things are able to pass on their characteristics to their offspring. The process of passing traits from parents to offspring is called heredity. Children tend to resemble their parents because of heredity.

Directions:  
Multiple Choice:Choose the number that corresponds to the BEST answer. There is only one BEST answer for each question.Short Answer: Answer each question to the best of your ability. Be sure to show your thought process.
1. The study of living thing is called *
4 points
2. The process in which two different parents united to produce a new organism is called *
4 points
3. Which process is used by organisms to keep their internal conditions relatively stable? *
4 points
4. Individual living things are referred as *
4 points
5. Which of the following is not a living thing? *
4 points
6. Which of the following does not belong to the rest of the group? *
4 points
7. Worms that had been invaded by bacteria were eaten by a species of bird. Many of these birds died as a result. The most likely explanation for this is that the *
4 points
8. Organisms need ________________ for energy, growth, repair, or maintenance. *
4 points
9. In __________________. a single organism produces offspring identical to itself.   *
4 points
10. Organisms release chemical energy by the process *
4 points
11. The activity of a single-celled organism is represented in the diagram below. *
4 points
Captionless Image
12.  ___________________ is the process by which substances enter and leave cells and are distributed among the cells of an organism. *
4 points
13. Which statement best compares a multicellular organism to a single-celled organism? *
4 points
14. Which statement concerning production of offspring is correct? *
4 points
15. Humans require organ systems to carry out life processes. Single-celled organisms do not have organ systems and yet they are able to carry out life processes. This is because *
4 points
16. Rabbits have evolved strategies that get them through periods of time when there is little food. The diagram below represents essential life functions that rabbits need to perform. *
4 points
Captionless Image
17. The diagram below represents two organisms. *
4 points
Captionless Image
18. Single-celled organisms are able to maintain internal stability because they *
4 points
19. How are sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction different? *
4 points
20. Cell A performs functions similar to the tissues and systems in complex, multicellular organisms. This process results in *
4 points
Captionless Image
21. The ability to grow in size is a characteristic of living organisms. Although an icicle may grow in size over time, it is considered nonliving because there is *
4 points
Captionless Image
22. Which process is illustrated by the arrows in the diagram below? *
4 points
Captionless Image
23.  Which of the following statements best explains why birds fly south for the winter? *
4 points
24. How might a lion respond to the smell of fresh meat? *
4 points
26. Mice store only a small amount of the energy they obtain from plants they eat. State what might happen to some of the remaining energy they obtain from the plants. *
4 points
Submit
Clear form
Never submit passwords through Google Forms.
This form was created inside of NYC Department of Education. Report Abuse
Google Forms