Chapter 1
Introducing living things
UNIT 1.02
LIVING THINGS
IX BIOLOGY
Objectives
In today’s class you will be able to:
Recognize and describe the various
characteristics of living organisms.
Life is everywhere on Earth. Millions of species share our world.
What does it mean to be alive ?
What characteristics do all the living things show?
Is it the ability to move?
Water moves but it is not alive!
Is it the ability to reproduce?
Yet fire reproduces.
Perhaps it's life’s ability to react to its surroundings.
Yet sand, ice, rock also react to their surroundings.
Let's explore the
CHARACTERISTICS
OF
LIVING THINGS
MRS GREN
Mrs Gren
Living things all have 7 things in
common.
These things are called life processes.
Things can only be living if they do all 7 of
the life processes.
We say that these life processes are
characteristics of living organisms or are
the characteristics of life.
M MOVEMENT
R RESPIRATION
S SENSITIVITY
G GROWTH
R REPRODUCTION
E EXCRETION
N NUTRITION
MOVEMENT
1. Can you define movement?
2. Why do living things move?
3. Do plants also move?
MOVEMENT
Movement is a characteristic of organisms.It is easier to detect movement in animals than in plants. Most animals are able to
move from one place to another.
Animals walk,or run,or hop, or crawl, or swim, or fly. They find Plant move by growing. Roots grow down
their way using sense organs like eyes,ears, nose,taste buds in response to gravity and to find water.
and skin and insect feelers called antennae. Shoots grow up towards light.
RESPIRATION
1. What is respiration ?
2. Do plants also respire ?
RESPIRATION
Living organisms require energy to perform
activities such as growing and moving.
Living organisms gain energy through the
process of respiration. Respiration is the
oxidation of food substances to release
energy for cell activities. All organisms
respire. In both plants and animals, organic
food substances such as carbohydrates and
fats are used to store energy.This energy is
set free when the substances are broken
down through respiration into carbon
dioxide and water. Respiration can be
represented by this equation.
SENSITIVITY
1. What do you understand by sensitivity ?
2. When you prick your hand what do you do ?
3. When you see some insect near your eye
what do you do ?
4. Do you think plants are also sensitive ?
SENSITIVITY
Animals and plants are sensitive to changes in their environment.They often react to these changes in
ways which are beneficial to themselves.Such a change or external influence is called stimulus the
reaction of an organism to a stimulus is known as a response; this response of living organisms to a
stimulus is termed sensitivity.
For instance:
If you accidently touch a hot When the sensitive plant
utensil on your stove, you Mimosa is touched it’s leaves
involuntarily snatch your hand automatically fold up .
away from the pot.
GROWTH
1. What is growth ?
2. How do plants show growth ?
GROWTH
Growth is defined as increase in size and mass during the development of an organism over a
period of time. Growth is seen in all living things, it involves using food to produce new cells.
Animals stop growing when they
Plants grow all their lives. reach their adult size.
REPRODUCTION
What is reproduction?
Why do living things reproduce?
How do plants reproduce?
REPRODUCTION
Reproduction is the process by which new organisms (offspring) are
generated. A living organism needs reproduction for continuity and to ensure
that they are not extinct. This means reproduction is essential for the survival
of all species.
Animal lay eggs or have babies. Seeds from plants grow into new plants.
EXCRETION
What is excretion?
Why do living things excrete?
What do they excrete?
Do plants also excrete?
EXCRETION
Removal of metabolic waste products that have been produced as a result of processes
occurring inside the cell of an organism.
Animals excrete through their lungs(carbon dioxide), Plants store waste in old leaves
kidney(urine) and skin(sweat). which fall in the autumn.
NUTRITION
Why do living things need food?
Do animals produce their own food?
How do plants produce food?
NUTRITION
Living things take in materials from the surrounding that they use for growth,repair and to
provide energy. Nutrition is the process by which organisms obtain energy and raw materials
from nutrients such as proteins,carbohydrates and fats.
Plants make their own food in their leaves this is
Animals can’t make their own food so they eat plants and called photosynthesis. It needs light,water,carbon
other animals. dioxide and a green chemical called chlorophyll
which is found in leaves.
LET’S EXPLORE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Shining a flashlight in your friend’s eye makes his pupil
contract. What characteristic of living things do you think
was observed in this example?
Can you think of another example related to same feature
identified?
Review Questions
Instructions:
Complete the following questions in your journals. Their answers will be discussed in the next class.
Q1. Name seven ways in which living things are different from non-living things.
Q2. Name the green stuff and three other things plant need to make food.
Q3. Name all your sense organs.
Q4.What is:
a) Respiration
b) Excretion.
c) Growth
d) Reproduction
e) Movement
f) Sensitivity
g) Nutrition
THANK YOU
