Features of Life

Teacher Michael Naputi

Topics

Vocabulary Growth

Organisms Response

Cells Reproduction

Energy Adapt
Vocabulary
Organism - a living thing

Multicellular - an organism made of many cells

Unicellular - an organism made of one cell

Stimulus - a change in the environment that affects an organism

Response - how an organism reacts to a stimulus

Reproduction - to produce offspring or children

Adapt - to change
Organisms
Organisms are what we call living things. They can be plants, animals or bacteria.

All organisms have 6 important features:

1. Cells
2. Energy
3. Growth
4. Response
5. Reproduction
6. Adapt
Cells
A cell is the smallest unit of a living thing.
Some organisms have millions or billions of
cells. Some have only 1 cell.

Multicellular organisms have many cells like

grasshoppers, worms and giraffes.

Unicellular organisms only have one cell like

amoeba, paramoecium and euglena.
Energy
All organisms need energy to survive. We use energy to move, grow, and
reproduce.

We get energy through the food that we eat.

Plants get energy using light, carbon dioxide and water.

Growth
All living things grow. Growth is an increase in size or mass. We need energy in
order to increase mass, or make new cells.
Response
Organisms are surrounded by many things in the environment. When these things
change, we call it a stimulus. Organisms respond to a stimulus in different ways.

For example, plants will bend towards the sunlight.

Animals will move their heads towards a sound.

Reproduce
Another important feature of organisms is reproduction. This is when an offspring
is produced that is similar to the parent.

Asexual reproduction is when only 1 parent is needed to produce offspring.

Sexual reproduction needs 2 parents to produce offspring.

Adapt
Organisms must adapt to their
environments in order to survive.

Chameleons can change their colors so

that other animals cannot see them.

An octopus can shoot ink to distract other

animals.

Plants make delicious fruit that animals eat

to help move their seeds.
 Tree
Activity
1. Multicellular
2. Sunlight
Write down 2 organisms 3. Grow tall with branches and leaves
4. Lose leaves in the winter
5. Sexual reproduction
1. Are they multicellular or unicellular? 6. Grow roots to get water from the
2. How do they get energy? ground
3. How do they grow?
4. What responses do they have to stimulus?
Human
5. Do they have asexual or sexual reproduction?
6. How do they adapt to their environment? 1. Multicellular
2. Hamburgers
3. Grow taller and bigger
4. Sweat when it is hot
5. Sexual reproduction
6. Use tools to make things