What Makes A Living Thing?
About organic compounds & characteristics of living things
The Characteristics of Living Things
All Living Things Are Made Of Cells
Everything living is made of cells. Cells are the basic unit of life. Cells are the structure of a living organism.
All living things maintain homeostatis
Homeostatis is maintaining a constant internal enviroment. Sneezing, burping, farting, and becoming hungry are examples of homeostatis.
All living things evolve over time
Evolution is change over time. Our body's have changed to adapt to our current lifestyle and enviroment.
All Living Things Reproduce, Heridity
Every living thing reproduces. They must pass down the genes through heridity. The picture shows Donald Duck's family tree which shows the process of heridity.
All Living Things Depend On Others, Interdependence
All living things depend on something else for survival. We depend on plants and animals for food. Flowers depend on humming birds and bees for polination. Every single thing depends on something else.
All Living Things Need Energy
All living things need to have energy in order to survive. Energy is basically food.
Organic Compounds
Carbohydrates
A carbohydrate is an organic compound that consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbohydrates are a common source of energy in living organisms. However, no carbohydrate is an essential. Some examples are breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and cereals.
Lipids
Lipids are basically fats. Examples are sunflower, corn oils, walnut, and soy, and butter. They contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxyegen. Sometimes there is nitrogen and phosphorus.
Protiens
Motion of cells and organisms depends on proteins. They are one of the building blocks of body tissue, and can also serve as a fuel source. They are found in animal sources such as meats, milk, fish and eggs, as well as in plant sources such as whole grains, soy, fruits, nuts and seeds. They contain, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids are biological molecules essential for known forms of life on Earth. They include DNA and RNA.