Crash Course: Characteristics of Living and Non-Living Things

Overview

• Focus: Characteristics of living and non-living things, parts of animal and plant cells.
• Audience: Secondary one and two students.
• Structure:
  • Part 1: Characteristics of living things vs non-living things.
  • Part 2: Animal and plant cells, differences, and organelles.

Characteristics of Living Things

1. Made of Cells

• Cells: Smallest unit of life; cannot function solo.
• Types of Organisms:
  • Unicellular: Composed of one cell (e.g., bacteria, protists).
  • Multicellular: Composed of many cells (e.g., humans with skin, brain, muscle cells).

2. Need Energy

• Sources:
  • Plants: Energy from the sun.
  • Animals: From plants or other animals.
  • Yeast: Feeds off sugars (e.g., in bread-making).

3. Exchange Substances with Environment

• Examples:
  • Yeast: Sugar in, gas out.
  • Humans: Food and water in, waste out.
  • Plants: CO2 in, oxygen out.

4. React to Stimuli

• Stimuli: Events that cause reactions (e.g., sound, touch, light).
• Examples:
  • Dogs: Smell stimuli.
  • Humans: React to heat or sound.
  • Plants: Turn towards the sun.

5. Grow and Develop

• Examples:
  • Walnut: Grows into tree.
  • Frog Eggs: Develop into frogs.
  • Humans: Grow from birth through life stages.

6. Reproduce

• Asexual Reproduction:
  • Example: Plants via cuttings, unicellular organisms via splitting.
• Sexual Reproduction:
  • Requires two gametes to form a zygote (e.g., humans, animals).

7. Adapt and Evolve

• Adaptations:
  • Behavioral: Hibernation, migration, sexual/asexual reproduction shifts.
  • Physical: Different feet and beaks for birds based on environment.

Non-Living Things Example: Drones

• Energy: Needs power source (battery/gas).
• Can exchange substances: If gas-powered (releases exhaust).
• Intelligence: Can respond to programmed stimuli.
• Lacks other characteristics: Cannot grow, reproduce, adapt, evolve, or made of cells.

Living Things Example: Water Lilies

• Cells: Made of cells.
• Energy: Absorbs sun.
• Exchange with Environment: Photosynthesis (CO2 in, oxygen out).
• React to Stimuli: Move towards sun.
• Grow and Develop: From budding to flowering.
• Reproduce: Asexually or sexually.
• Adapt and Evolve: Flat surface to float.

Watch the second video for an in-depth look at the differences between plant and animal cells.