B1.1 – Characteristics of Living Organsims

1. List and describe the characteristics of living organisms.

Ever heard of Mrs. Gren?

Nope. Not a celebrity. She’s just useful for one thing and one thing only. This:

M – Movement

R – Respiration

S – Sensitivity

G – Growth

R – Reproduction

E – Excretion

N – Nutrition

Describing these characteristics is done in the next part.

2. Define the terms:

• Movement: an action by an organism or part of an organism causing a change of position or place.
• Respiration: the chemical reactions that break down nutrient molecules in living cells to release energy.
• Sensitivity: the ability to detect or sense changes in the environment (stimuli) and to make responses.
• Growth: a permanent increase in size and dry mass* by an increase in cell number or cell size or both.
• Reproduction: the process by which living organisms produce offspring
• Excretion: removal from organisms of toxic materials, waste products of metabolism (chemical reactions in cells including respiration) and substances in excess of requirements.
• Nutrition: taking in of nutrients which are organic substances and mineral ions containing raw materials or energy for growth and tissue repair, absorbing and assimilating them.

*dry mass is the mass of an organism or cell minus the mass of the water in it.

Notes Submitted by Sarah.

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