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What are the 7 characteristics of all living things?

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#1 Living things need to be made of cells.

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#1 Living things need to be made of cells.

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All living things have to have cells that do different things that make sure that the body functions properly.

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#2 Living things need to Maintain a homeostasis.

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#2 Living things need to Maintain a homeostasis.

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Living things need to keep a stable internal environment when the external environment is totally different.

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Homeostasis Explained - Definition, Metaphor, Examples

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#3 Living things need to have a metabolism.

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#3 Living things need to have a metabolism.

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In order to be living you must have Metabolism which is breaking down something that is food and using it to make energy which is used to function the body properly.

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Metabolism is a term that is used to describe all chemical reactions involved in maintaining the living state of the cells and the organism. Metabolism can be conveniently divided into two categories:

Catabolism - the breakdown of molecules to obtain energy

Anabolism - the synthesis of all compounds needed by the cells

Metabolism is closely linked to nutrition and the availability of nutrients. Bioenergetics is a term which describes the biochemical or metabolic pathways by which the cell ultimately obtains energy. Energy formation is one of the vital components of metabolism.

Nutrition, metabolism and energy

Nutrition is the key to metabolism. The pathways of metabolism rely upon nutrients that they breakdown in order to produce energy. This energy in turn is required by the body to synthesize new proteins, nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) etc.

Nutrients in relation to metabolism encompass bodily requirement for various substances, individual functions in body, amount needed, level below which poor health results etc.

Essential nutrients supply energy (calories) and supply the necessary chemicals which the body itself cannot synthesize. Food provides a variety of substances that are essential for the building, upkeep, and repair of body tissues, and for the efficient functioning of the body.

The diet needs essential nutrients like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and around 20 other inorganic elements. The major elements are supplied in carbohydrates, lipids, and protein. In addition, vitamins, minerals and water are necessary.

Carbohydrates in metabolism

Foods supply carbohydrates in three forms: starch, sugar, and cellulose (fiber). Starches and sugars form major and essential sources of energy for humans. Fibers contribute to bulk in diet.

Body tissues depend on glucose for all activities. Carbohydrates and sugars yield glucose by digestion or metabolism.

The overall reaction for the combustion of glucose is written as:

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 -----> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy

Most people consume around half of their diet as carbohydrates. This comes from rice, wheat, bread, potatoes, pasta, macaroni etc.

Proteins in metabolism

Proteins are the main tissue builders in the body. They are part of every cell in the body. Proteins help in cell structure, functions, haemoglobin formation to carry oxygen, enzymes to carry out vital reactions and a myriad of other functions in the body. Proteins are also vital in supplying nitrogen for DNA and RNA genetic material and energy production.

Proteins are necessary for nutrition because they contain amino acids. Among the 20 or more amino acids, the human body is unable to synthesize 8 and these are called essential amino acids.

The essential amino acids include:

Foods with the best quality protein are eggs, milk, soybeans, meats, vegetables, and grains.

Fat in metabolism

Fats are concentrated sources of energy. They produce twice as much energy as either carbohydrates or protein on a weight basis.

The functions of fats include:

helping to form the cellular structure;

forming a protective cushion and insulation around vital organs;

helping absorb fat soluble vitamins,

providing a reserve storage for energy

Essential fatty acids include unsaturated fatty acids like linoleic, linolinic, and arachidonic acids. These need to be taken in diet. Saturated fats, along with cholesterol, have been implicated in arteriosclerosis and heart disease.

Minerals and vitamins in metabolism

The minerals in foods do not contribute directly to energy needs but are important as body regulators and play a role in metabolic pathways of the body. More than 50 elements are found in the human body. About 25 elements have been found to be essential, since a deficiency produces specific deficiency symptoms.

Important minerals include:

Vitamins are essential organic compounds that the human body cannot synthesize by itself and must therefore, be present in the diet. Vitamins particularly important in metabolism include:

Vitamin A

B2 (riboflavin)

Niacin or nicotinic acid

Pantothenic Acid etc.

Metabolic pathways

The chemical reactions of metabolism are organized into metabolic pathways. These allow the basic chemicals from nutrition to be transformed through a series of steps into another chemical, by a sequence of enzymes.

Enzymes are crucial to metabolism because they allow organisms to drive desirable reactions that require energy. These reactions also are coupled with those that release energy. As enzymes act as catalysts they allow these reactions to proceed quickly and efficiently. Enzymes also allow the regulation of metabolic pathways in response to changes in the cell's environment or signals from other cells.

Further Reading

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Metabolism is a term that is used to describe all chemical reactions involved in maintaining the living state of the cells and the organism. Metabolism can be conveniently divided into two categories: Catabolism - the breakdown of molecules to obtain energy Anabolism - the synthesis of all compounds needed by the cells Metabolism is closely linked to nutrition and the availability of nutrients.

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#4 Living things must respond to the environment.

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#4 Living things must respond to the environment.

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To be alive means you have to react to how the environment by reacting to a stimulus and responding to how to deal with it.

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BBC - Standard Grade Bitesize Biology - Reproduction and responding to the environment : Revision, Page 4

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A BBC Bitesize secondary school revision resource for Standard Grade Biology on reproduction: fertilisation, sex cells, responding to the environment

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Living things have to reproduce which is making more of their kind or making more of their species.

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#6 All living things will have heredity.

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#6 All living things will have heredity.

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Living things must also pass down traits to the offspring so that later on they can pass it down and eventually evolve throughout time.

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#7 All living things will grow and develop.

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#7 All living things will grow and develop.

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To be considered to be living you must grow and develop by growing larger in size and also developing new features that will help us in time.

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To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript.

A child's growth and development can be divided into four periods:

Infancy

Preschool years

Middle childhood years

Adolescence

Soon after birth, an infant normally loses about 5% to 10% of their birth weight. By about age 2 weeks, an infant should start to gain weight and grow quickly.

By age 4 to 6 months, an infant's weight should be double their birth weight. During the second half of the first year of life, growth is not as rapid. Between ages 1 and 2, a toddler will gain only about 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms). Weight gain will remain at about 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms) per year between ages 2 to 5.

Between ages 2 to 10 years, a child will grow at a steady pace. A final growth spurt begins at the start of puberty, sometime between ages 9 to 15.

The child's nutrient needs correspond with these changes in growth rates. An infant needs more calories in relation to size than a preschooler or school-age child needs. Nutrient needs increase again as a child gets close to adolescence.

A healthy child will follow an individual growth curve. However, the nutrient intake may be different for each child. Provide a diet with a wide variety of foods that is suited to the child's age.

Healthy eating habits should begin during infancy. This can help prevent diseases such as high blood pressure and obesity.

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND DIET

Poor nutrition can cause problems with a child's intellectual development. A child with a poor diet may be tired and unable to learn at school. Also, poor nutrition can make the child more likely to get sick and miss school. Breakfast is very important. Children may feel tired and unmotivated if they do not eat a good breakfast.

The relationship between breakfast and improved learning has been clearly shown. There are government programs in place to make sure each child has at least one healthy, balanced meal a day. This meal is usually breakfast. Programs are available in poor and underserved areas of the United States.

Talk to your health care provider if you have concerns about your child's growth and development.

Related topics include:

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Normal growth and development: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

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To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. A child's growth and development can be divided into four periods: Infancy Preschool years Middle childhood years Adolescence Soon after birth, an infant normally loses about 5% to 10% of their birth weight.