Characteristics of Living Organisms

Characteristics of Living Organisms

Growth

• All living organisms have the ability to grow.
• This growth is from within, where cells divide and specialise into different types, leading to increase in size and complexity.
• Organisms not only grow in size, but also in complexity – this is called development.

Reproduction

• An important property of life is the ability to reproduce or create organisms like themselves.
• This may be asexual (without the fusion of gametes) or sexual (with fusion of gametes) reproduction.
• The offspring produced carry characteristics from their parents – this process is governed by genetics.

Respiration

• All living beings perform a process called respiration, converting food into usable energy.
• In simple terms, it’s the process of taking in oxygen and giving out carbon dioxide.
• This energy is used for all activities within the organism.

Sensitivity

• Living organisms are sensitive; they can respond and react to changes in their environment.
• This response may involve movement, secretion of hormones, or other physiological changes.

Nutrition

• All organisms take in and use nutrients — substances required for growth, repair, and normal functioning.
• Autotrophs, such as plants, create their own food, whereas heterotrophs, such as animals, must ingest their food.

Excretion

• Excretion is the process where waste substances are removed from the body.
• These waste products are the by-products of metabolic activities, and if not removed, can be hazardous to the organism.

Movement

• Most living organisms have the ability to move.
• This allows them to respond to their environment in many ways, such as by finding food, escaping from predators, or seeking a mate.

Remember, the seven characteristics listed above are not just applicable to animals, but also to plants, fungi, protists, bacteria, and archaea. There is a huge diversity in the living world, but every organism shares these basic processes.